At the Heart of Creative Craftsmanship in Burkina Faso

Mixing the traditional skills and expertise of artists from Burkina Faso with contemporary design ideas, Maison Intègre is producing a stunning collection of furniture and objects in cast bronze.

Maison Intègre was born out of the desire to celebrate and support the craft heritage of West Africa and in particular the lost wax bronze technique, which is a strong tradition in Burkina Faso. Maison Intègre works closely with fifteen bronze craftspeople in Ouagadougou. Throughout this Maison Intègre supports a community and perpetuates a knowhow.

Unfortunately, Burkina Faso’s displacement crisis is one of the world’s fastest growing, with the number of internally displaced people reaching more than 2 million. Around 40% of the country is outside state control. More than ever, Burkina Faso and Maison Intègre need support. There are no more tourists and the economic opportunities for artisans to sell their work doesn’t exist anymore. This savoir-faire is in danger and risks to disappear.

This year, Maison Intègre founder Ambre Jarno and the local community have built a proper workshop structure with its own bronze foundry, which employs around 15 artisans. The French expatriate has invited 3 French bronzesmiths to spend one month in Ouagadougou to help them build the new workspace and engage in a mutual exchange in terms of casting traditions, experiences, and techniques. With unshakable dedication, Maison Intègre has invested in some new tools, materials, and equipment to offer better work conditions and security to the artisans.

“With Maison Intègre edition pieces explored new applications of bronze,” Jarno shares. “The artisans weren’t used to casting furniture and objects for interiors. It was new for them, and we had to find new approaches and techniques together. With this project, I’ve experienced that the cultural industry can be a lever of growth and development in this part of the world.”

Together with her New York gallery Ateliers Courbet, Jarno is committed to ensure the team of bronzesmiths’ regular incomes and work. Alongside the foundry and its inherent social impact, Jarno expands her dedication to the bronzesmiths’ families as she opens the Maison Intègre foundation to secure their access to education and health.

“Maison Intègre is not only about the creation and sales of objects, but taking the time to create a virtuous environment,” explains Jarno. “Today, I need to focus on the structure of Maison Intègre’s foundation and put all my energy in raising the necessary funds to make this project sustainable long term. I have an entire community of collaborators and friends who are expecting a lot from this project and I want to give them my full support.”

www.maisonintegre.com

www.ateliercourbet.com

@maisonintegre

@atelierscourbet

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