Portrait
With a diploma from ENOV (the national school of basketry) under her belt, Catherine Romand practised traditional basketry in Villaines-les-Rochers for nearly 25 years... until she began to feel stifled in a profession she nevertheless loved deeply. The desire to break away from the daily routine became overwhelming. Rebellious yet loyal, it was with her husband Christophe, also a wicker grower and basket maker and winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France award, that she made the transition from rattan to wicker and from furniture to baskets.
"On this planet, we are all just grains of sand. But it is through sharing, respect and cooperation that we achieve great things."
These tools are her hands, but it is her mind that gives birth to the designs she creates from scratch. Original shapes and combinations of materials, steel, leather and wood, are the accomplices of a fertile imagination that expresses itself equally well in fine basketry, furniture, sculptures, living wickerwork and bespoke creations. While daylight allows us to appreciate the finesse of her work, evening light showcases a collection of unusual and sculptural light fixtures. At nightfall, the feminine and generous forms come to life, as the dancing shadows of their interlacing patterns spread across the walls and ceilings.
Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l'Intelligence de la main® - Dialogues
