Maison Intègre’s inaugural collection is an ode to West African craft

Preserving the invaluable lineage of cultural craft and fostering the unchanged, time-honoured artisanal techniques hold more relevance than ever. Continuing their crusade of celebrating and supporting the craftsmanship of West Africa, Burkina Faso-based metalsmithing workshop Maison Intègre brings to light its first cohesive collection in collaboration with French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance. Presented by New York-based design gallery Les Ateliers Courbet at New York Design Week 2022, the exhibition of limited-edition bronze works will be on view till 26 July, 2022. The versatile ensemble features bronze pieces ranging from tables and chairs to lighting and mask sconces. “Living in Burkina Faso, there is a constant connection to craft in everyday life – you have to use what you have around you to produce and create,” shares Ambre Jarno, founder of Maison Intègre. “Everything is reused, repaired, and transformed with grace and without compromise to function,” she adds.

“I am particularly pleased to share the inspiring work of Maison Integre and support its founder Ambre Jarno's commitment to fostering the master craftsmanship tradition of Burkina Faso and its exposure to the world by bringing international artists and French master craftsmen to collaborate and exchange with the local artisans,” shares Mélanie Courbet, founder of Les Ateliers Courbet. The artisanal process of lost wax bronze casting, employed by Maison Intègre since its invention millennia ago, is carried forward by Ambre Jarno and the Burkinabe artisans. The pieces gradually materialised over the course of two years of trips to and from Burkina Faso, where Ambre introduced Noé to local artisans and their ways of life. The designs build on a sensitivity to the vernacular architecture and archetypal forms indigenous to the region. Forms traditionally sculpted in wood or handcrafted in clay are executed in a single material - bronze. A mono-material collection allowed Noé to learn from the Burkinabe artisans their bronze traditions. First, beeswax was shaped to create moulds for the pieces which were then cast withliquid bronze.

The forms of the seven sculptural pieces are derivatives of West African vernacular architecture and everyday objects – the Yobi ladder-inspired Y lamp, the Kassena Tables drawing from the architecture in the traditional Kassena village of Tiébélé, the wall sconces reminiscent of the expressive nature of West African ritual masks, the Retro lamp derived from Noé’s travels through Ouagadougou and the designer’s interpretation of the well-recognised Palabre chair. Jarno and Duchaufour-Lawrance embarked on a two years long journey of exploration, sculpting, and testing possibilities offered by the material to manifest a collection epitomising the legacy of West African craftsmanship.

“Ambre's mission and dedication perfectly align with the gallery's new Editions Courbet program and our commitment to fostering the apprenticeship of the young craftsmen generations in collaboration with the Ateliers Saint-Jacques foundation in France,” she adds. Rooted in customs and traditions, evocative of the daily life of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Maison Intègre and Duchaufour-Lawrance meticulously create a collection that accentuates the importance of craft in the culture and reestablishes a meaningful relationships with the Burkinabe bronzesmiths.

Maison Intègre Editions will be on display from 11 May to 26 July, 2022, at Les Ateliers Courbet, 134 Tenth Avenue, New York.