Inside pieces
INSIDE PIECES
Part of pieces in space
MAISON INTEGRE AT FEAU BOISERIE
In 2022, Maison Intègre took a part in the first exhibition of the Invisible Collection at Feau Boiserie.
Both a studio and a gallery, this house of excellence perpetuates the tradition of French decor by designing, manufacturing and installing woodwork decorations since 1875, when Charles Fournier opened his studio, quickly becoming one of the most famous decorators of the Belle Époque.
A labyrinthine space in which the emblematic pieces of Maison Integre takes part.
MAISON INTEGRE AT ATELIERS COURBET
Les Ateliers Courbet is a design gallery based in New York. Founded in 2013 by Mélanie Courbet, the gallery presents exceptional pieces combining craftsmanship and cultural heritage through collaborations with artists, designers and artisans.
Since 2022, Maison Integre has presented the collection designed by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance.
Find the pieces in unique finishes always made to measure.
Raphaël and Noëlie Sawadogo
RAPHAËL AND NOËLIE SAWADOGO
designers and weavers
“I learned to dye and I liked it, I love creating!”
Raphaël Sawadogo has already lived more than ten lives. In wood craftship, in certification, abroad, he worked in many different jobs, sometimes very well paid, until becoming an employee of a weaving workshop. “I was the boss’s right-hand man, a long-time friend, I helped him in particular with administrative management.” Then his friend tells him of an imminent departure to the United States and the closure of the workshop. “I was in danger!”. It was four years ago. He decides to learn dyeing, and it’s a revelation. “I really like it, and it provides a living for my family.”
At his side, Noëlie, his wife, creates and weaves the prototypes. The couple is settled in the courtyard of their house in Cissin, Ouagadougou. A 10-meter loom is there, carrying the threads of the creation in progress.
“We weave Faso dan Fani, from local cotton, organic one as often as possible.”
Faso dan Fani, which has returned to fashion thanks to the national preference given to local creations, has not generated any increase in activity among them. “But we have added value: we weave 40 thread, while the others weave 20.” A much finer and more elegant thread than the traditional dan Fani, which may be a little heavy to carry sometimes.
Raphaël and Noëlie also rely on sobriety to differentiate themselves: “no golden threads here, nor garish patterns”. In fact, their loincloths are either “dirty white”, that is to say ecru, or pastel colors. Because Raphaël favors the natural dyeing of his yarn, based on leaves, roots, bark or stones. And even when he has to use chemical dyes for financial reasons, he sticks to a range of colors close to those obtained by natural dyes. Once the yarn has been cleaned by boiling, the pattern created by Noëlie and the prototype woven, four women will weave the loincloths which will be sent to customers.
Raphaël works with individuals but also couturiers, and not the least. François 1er, a renowned Burkinabè designer, was seduced by the finesse of his Dan Fani and the delicacy of his patterns. “And we are among the only ones to weave 45 cm wide, where the others tend to weave 30 cm wide.” The Sawadogo couple’s demands for final quality and the difficulty of weaving such a fine thread mean that some women refuse to weave, because “you have to be calm, listen to advice and accept criticism” emphasizes Raphaël.
In March 2016, the revival of Dan Fani and the presidential decision to produce a national loincloth in this cotton caused a thread break. “There were none left, anywhere”, remembers Raphaël, who had to part with 6 of his weavers. Today, they have settled back into other activities and do not wish to return. Raphaël is therefore faced with the problem of every growing craftsman. Not enough hands to increase the quantity, and therefore not enough income to hire 6 new employees and invest in the equipment that goes with them. But the tenacity and professionalism of the couple suggests that this state will not last forever, thanks to their numerous recommendations.
Moreover, the objectives are clear: “I have acquired a small piece of land, I want to build a workshop there to bring together all the stages from dyeing to the exhibition and sale of finished products.” And thus make the courtyard of their little house playable for their three children and the dog Tex.
“Faso Dan Fani weaving requires seriousness and precision to obtain a quality product that will stand out.”
Faso Dan Fani
Faso Dan Fani
Woven loincloth of the homeland.
If he is a symbol of Burkinabè patriotism, Faso dan Fani is the one. In a country where the cultivation of cotton, not genetically modified, is one of the main national incomes and where the tradition of weaving is very old, these heavy cotton loincloths have very quickly become essential both for making clothes and for furnishing and decorative fabrics.
“In all the villages of Burkina Faso, we know how to grow cotton. In all the villages, women know how to spin cotton, men know how to weave this thread into loincloths and other men know how to sew these loincloths into clothes. We must not be a slave to what others produce”.Thomas Sankara
It was when Captain Thomas Sankara came to power in the mid-1980s that Faso Dan Fani became a national symbol and the promoter of local know-how. Determined to promote the emancipation of women through work and the development of national productions, Thomas Sankara imposes by decree the wearing of outfits made in Faso Dan Fani to his officials. “Wearing the faso dan fani is an economic, cultural and political act of defiance of imperialism”, used to say Thomas Sankara, whose political inspiration was essentially based on communism and anti-colonialism.
If the daily use of this loincloth fell slightly into disuse following the death of Sankara and the establishment of a much more liberal policy, the Faso Dan Fani has always remained the basis of the production of festive and ceremonial clothing, the Naba – village chiefs – wearing it at every opportunity. The first of them, the Mogho Naba, the emperor of the Mossis, takes care to always wear a Faso Dan Fani when he appears in public or receives in audience in his palace in Ouagadougou.
The Mogho Naaba, kings of the Mossis, one of the ethnic groups in Burkina Faso, dressed as Faso Dan Fani ©Afrika tiss
The revolution that took place in 2014, which ousted the dictator in place since the death of Sankara, raised an incredible wind of patriotism among Burkinabè. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President democratically elected at the end of 2015, brought the port of Faso Dan Fani up to date, himself wearing it at each of his appearances, including on official trips abroad. If the use of Dan Fani has not been made compulsory this time, it is however very favored. Each political demonstration sees the statesmen dressed in the traditional outfit woven in this heavy cotton, and the so-called “March 8” loincloth, published each year in honor of World Women’s Day for Equal Rights, and traditionally offered by all employers to their employees, is now from Faso Dan Fani.
Robust and natural, the Faso Dan Fani has become the symbol of a Nation proud of its roots and its know-how.
“Today Faso Dan Fani is highly valued around the world. It is the most expensive and best African fabric nowadays. »Pathé Ouedraogo, known as Pathé'O, Ivorian designer
Collection T.Reicheville, 2016, Pathé'o
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