SOMIAN DESIGN GALLERY
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Showcasing the creations of an Ivorian sculptor and cabinetmaker, including storage units, furniture, lighting and accessories
Jean Servais Somian is an Ivorian sculptor and cabinetmaker with a unique know-how: he rediscovered the technique of carving the coconut trunk which had disappeared because of the difficulty of working this basic material, both hard and extremely fragile. Halfway between art and design, he is a major figure in Ivorian contemporary art who exhibits in international galleries, notably in London and Paris. His trademark? A unique reinterpretation of tradition, which he sublimates into slender shapes (some creations can reach up to 2.50 m high) cut from the mass of his "modeling clay": cut pieces that he recovers and dries for 2 to 3 months before digging them out to make unique openworked pieces, sometimes combined with other materials (metal, foam and fabric, etc.). His elegant creations with pure lines are available in seating (pedestal stools, mask stools, cathedral stools, upside-down basins dressed with wax-covered cushions, benches, meridian and pirogue benches, etc.).), interior storage and furniture (chests, chests of drawers, mortar storage, sideboards, display units, jewellery cabinets, drawer trees, bookcases, dressing tables, consoles, coffee tables, hollowed-out trunk tables...), lighting and accessories (the twisting "carpet-tapette", very beautiful screens and mirrors, and jars with curves and a look so perfect that they look like pottery), and even home made jewellery. Enough to hunt for beautiful designer furniture.