LISON DE CAUNES
HISTORY
Lison born in 1948 “on the straw” as she says with humor, is the granddaughter of decorator André Groult, whose the period of glory spanned a decade, from 1920 to 1930. Trained at the Central Union of Decorative Art, she learned bookbinding and cabinetmaking, but it was straw marquetry that caught up with her because of her interest in mixtures of materials, in particular the flagship materials of the Art Deco period: shagreen, parchment, straw. Originally (17th century), straw replaced wood veneers for craftsmen or customers who could not afford to buy wood and who with straw achieve the same feats as in classic marquetry.
HER RESEARCH
Lison de Caunes resuscitated this know-how until she became involved in the training of a new generation of straw marquetry. She loves working on large surfaces on which the straw ribbons play with light, inviting users to touch the material which reveals itself to be wildly sensual and surprisingly very solid without the need to add any surface varnishes. She has countless collaborations with the greatest decorators around the world. From small boxes to huge flat or curved decors, her creations sublimate luxury boutiques and prestigious interiors.
HER ROLE IN THE GALLERY
Like her favorite material, straw, Lison de Caunes seems unalterable. She radiates a deep humility and a kindness that is matched only by her creative genius. Always on the lookout for new challenges, she was completely involved in the project we proposed to her. It’s a paradox, but maybe not that much. Those whose creation is guided by the hand, by manual work in the secrecy of a workshop where questioning oneself is part of the work, turn out to be people of a simplicity and a humanity that force our admiration. Golden people whose only company will irradiate your days for a long time. Lison is one of them, and that’s why we love her.
