Svalinn Sconce Bronze
Designer/Manufacturer
Pierre-Yves GuenecCirca
2024
Description
Inspired by the Nordic Mythology, the ‘Svalinn’ sconce is the artist’s bronze interpretation of a mythological shield that stands before the Sun, protecting the world from its intense heat. Using traditional bronze-smithing techniques, the Svalinn sconce embodies a timeless tradition of solar imagery dating back to the Nordic Bronze Age.
Pierre-Yves Guenec
Pierre-Yves Guenec
New York-based, French metalsmith-designer Pierre Yves Guenec (b. 1990) builds a body of work rooted in his passion for craftsmanships, and his advocacy for the preservation of centuries-old artisanal traditions through contemporary design. Formally trained in blacksmithing, Guenec began his career as an apprentice in some of the most prestigious ateliers of France. His design vocabulary is deeply informed by his understanding of the materials and the craftsmanship techniques.
After receiving an academic education at the Ateliers de Sevres and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, the artist chose to take the road and develop his technical skills through a more hands-on experience, working as an apprentice with master-artisans and furniture makers around Europe.
In 2016, he joined the esteemed Ateliers Saint Jacques, a non-profit cooperative of master craftsmen and workshops located outside of Paris. There, the artist-artisan was able to master his metalsmithing skills working alongside the revered art founders of Fonderie de Coubertin for over six years, collaborating with international talents such as Mathieu Lehanneur, Noe Duchaufour-Lawrance, Konstantin Grcic, as well as architects including Peter Marino, Joseph Dirand, or Jean Nouvel.
In 2022, Pierre Yves Guenec established his creative studio between Paris and New York. With a multidisciplinary approach, the studio explores environments from a spiritual perspective, transfiguring materials to reveal their inherent beauty. From furniture design to interior architecture, Guenec applies a thoughtful methodology to examine uses and archetypes, emphasizing the permanence of objects, the impact of spaces, and the potency of symbols. Prioritizing the importance of fine craftsmanship, Guenec collaborates directly with master craftsmen. In natural alignment with the curatorial vision of Ateliers Courbet, Guenec's work bears the co-signature of both the artist and the craftsmen.
Pierre-Yves Guenec
New York-based, French metalsmith-designer Pierre Yves Guenec (b. 1990) builds a body of work rooted in his passion for craftsmanships, and his advocacy for the preservation of centuries-old artisanal traditions through contemporary design. Formally trained in blacksmithing, Guenec began his career as an apprentice in some of the most prestigious ateliers of France. His design vocabulary is deeply informed by his understanding of the materials and the craftsmanship techniques.
After receiving an academic education at the Ateliers de Sevres and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, the artist chose to take the road and develop his technical skills through a more hands-on experience, working as an apprentice with master-artisans and furniture makers around Europe.
In 2016, he joined the esteemed Ateliers Saint Jacques, a non-profit cooperative of master craftsmen and workshops located outside of Paris. There, the artist-artisan was able to master his metalsmithing skills working alongside the revered art founders of Fonderie de Coubertin for over six years, collaborating with international talents such as Mathieu Lehanneur, Noe Duchaufour-Lawrance, Konstantin Grcic, as well as architects including Peter Marino, Joseph Dirand, or Jean Nouvel.
In 2022, Pierre Yves Guenec established his creative studio between Paris and New York. With a multidisciplinary approach, the studio explores environments from a spiritual perspective, transfiguring materials to reveal their inherent beauty. From furniture design to interior architecture, Guenec applies a thoughtful methodology to examine uses and archetypes, emphasizing the permanence of objects, the impact of spaces, and the potency of symbols. Prioritizing the importance of fine craftsmanship, Guenec collaborates directly with master craftsmen. In natural alignment with the curatorial vision of Ateliers Courbet, Guenec's work bears the co-signature of both the artist and the craftsmen.
