Mohammed Ouiya
Mohammed Ouiya
Mohamed is one of the main welders at the Maison Intègre workshop. He left school for bronze in 2006 and from then on, gained experience by working for several bronziers. “It was my brother who introduced me to the bronze work and I liked it.” Free electron whose welding work is essential in the finishing of the pieces, Mohammed joined Maison Intègre’s team in 2020. “I still have to adapt to the different requirements but overall, everything is going well. There have been a lot of changes with the construction of the workshop but please God, may Maison Integre move forward and prosper! If so, it will benefit us too.”
Lazare Ouedraogo
Lazare Ouedraogo
Lazare is an essential element for the proper functioning of Maison Integre’s ecosystem.
Invested since the genesis of the project, he now plays a central role in the management of the workshop, equipment and stakeholders. He is the supervisor, manager and mediator of all Maison Intègre activity in Burkina Faso.
“I met Ambre when she was still working at Canal +. I used to do odd jobs there. Thanks to her recommendations, I was able to find many other clients. This allowed me to create my own company. It was obvious that when she offered to support her in the making of Maison Intègre, I accepted. I knew absolutely nothing about bronze work. Over the years and with the pieces produced, I have been able to familiarize myself with all the bronze work. Maison Intègre is not an easy project with many technical and human challenges. The situation here in Burkina is really not easy on a daily basis. But, I like to tell myself that I allow craftsmen to live from their art and feed their families. Today, thanks to the trust built with Ambre, our relationship has gone beyond the stage of professional ties. For me Maison Intègre is family!”
Retrospective
RETROSPECTIVE
Early 2023 Maison Intègre presented for the first time in Paris a retrospective of its work at the Noé Duchaufour Lawrance’s gallery.
A look back at this exhibition which highlights its permanent collection but also the new Maison Intègre Studio products.
Photography by ©LucasFranck
Horsemen from Burkina
Horsemen from Burkina
If you come to Burkina, it is not unusual to meet a horseman pacing the streets. The emblematic horse of Burkina has a very close relationship with this country.
This bond raised from the legendary epic of Princess Yennenga and Malinké prince in exile. Yennenga means “the thin, the slender”, she is the founder of the Moogo kingdom bringing together the Mossi Fulani actual Burkina Faso. She is the daughter of King Nedega, an authoritarian and just king who reigned over the Dagomb peoples. The princess was passionate about horses, but despaired of not being able to ride as men did.
Rebel and reckless, she convinces her father to give her permission to ride alongside him and becomes a fierce warrior. Following a conflict with her father, who threw her in prison, however the princess managed to escape and fled on her favorite mount, a white stallion.On her run, she met Prince Malinké, with whom she fell madly in love. From their union was born Prince Ouedraogo which means “stallion” or “male horse”. Today this surname is one of the most widespread in Burkina Faso, and the white stallion on which the princess fled is today the national emblem of the country.
Today, only a few wealthy families own horses in town, young riders move through the streets and mingle with the frenetic traffic of the capital. Giving an appointment in front of a bar or a nightclub, they meet at ceremonies or shows. They allow everyone to remember the equestrian cult of nobility and beauty. It is also common to come across horses roaming freely, they sometimes stop in front of houses simply to graze, they are the kings of the city.
Philippe Bordas is a photographer who took a serie of pictures highlighting the Mossis riders.“I accompanied [the artist] Tiken Jah Fakoly, of which I was the photographer for a concert in Ouagadougou. Horsemen came to the airport and escorted us through town. They were very impressive, and that caught my curiosity. »
This collection of photographs allows us to immerse ourselves in the close relationship that the Ouagalais maintain with the majestic animal which is the horse.
© Philippe Bordas