On a dresser, for example, the straw marquetry becomes three-dimensional thanks to the ‘pointe-de-diamant’ technique. On wall panels, a Milky Way of mother-of-pearl appears, with aluminium stars and inlays of laser-cut constellations. Such refined creations haven’t failed to catch the eye of international designers, with whom Lison de Caunes has worked – Peter Marino, Cabinet Alberto Pinto, Maria Pergay, Hubert le Gall, Vincent Darré, Mathieu Lehanneur.
She has reinterpreted marquetry with a revolutionary technique, using the tools of bookbinding, after studies in that field (crafts are definitely a vital part of the family DNA). The folding ivory tool used throughout her career is still held in her fingers, to cover a piece of furniture or an object – from coffee tables to screens, trays, cabinets, containers – associating the silky touch and iridescent highlights of rye straw, once known as the ‘gold of the poor,’ with inlays in gold leaf, mother-of-pearl and molten glass. The results are unique, precious furnishings, in sparkling colors, with poetic decorations and material effects, developed with the curiosity of innovation, but always in a context of pure craftsmanship.
Lison de Caunes x Boutique Cartier, Geneve. Photo © Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Su un comò, ad esempio, l’intarsio della paglia diventa tridimensionale grazie alla tecnica ‘pointe-de-diamant’. Sui pannelli a parete compare una via lattea di madreperla, stelle in alluminio e intarsi di costellazioni tagliati al laser. Realizzazioni talmente ricercate che non hanno tardato ad attirare l’attenzione di designer internazionali con cui Lison de Caunes ha collaborato – Peter Marino, Cabinet Alberto Pinto, Maria Pergay, Hubert le Gall, Vincent Darré, Mathieu Lehanneur.
Various luxury brands have also commissioned her to make pieces for their flagship stores, such as Guerlain on the Champs-Élysées, Louis Vuitton at Place Vendôme, and the Four Seasons Hotel in New York.
Lison de Caunes x Boutique Cartier, Geneve. Photo © Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Recent projects include the Cartier boutique in Geneva, featuring evocative decorative panels made by Lison: one is situated in an alcove of the salon, covered by a warm array of motifs that depict a panther, the symbol of the Cartier brand; while the walls and sliding doors are woven with natural straw in a pale hue, forming a sunbeam motif that enhances the vivid sensorial and emotional atmosphere of the space.
In New York, Lison de Caunes shares a space in Chelsea, Par Excellence, with other internationally renowned artists in the field of decoration, design and furnishings, including Ozone, for which the artist has created a series of lamps.
