Pierre-Henri Beyssac is our Artisan of the Month!

Our latest Artisan of the Month episode presents Pierre-Henri Beyssac, a wood marquetry craftsman. A laureate 2023 of the Fondation Rémy Cointreau and Meilleur Ouvrier de France, he embodies a singular expertise, merging tradition and innovation to redefine the codes and applications of marquetry.

The Trade

Known as “wood painting”, marquetry is an art that exploits the richness of wood species to create detailed “pictures”. It flourished in the 17th century, largely due to masters like André-Charles Boulle, and is distinguished by the essential notion of time and dedication. It was during his cabinetmaking vocational training that Pierre-Henri Beyssac discovered marquetry, falling in love with the craft. In his workshop, he works with hundreds of wood species, confronting the inherent challenges of the material and the continuous self-reflection inherent in this handcrafted work.

The gesture

The art of crafting a wooden marquetry piece requires a sequence of precise gestures, from the initial sketch to the meticulous selection of wood species, and through to the cutting and assembling of each segment. Of all these steps, Pierre-Henri Beyssac particularly enjoys scraping the wood, a technique that reveals an almost polished finish. This process forges an intimate bond with the medium, deeply engaging all his senses. Touch reveals the textures, hearing perceives the sound of the scraper, and above all, smell is stimulated by the specific fragrances released from every variety of wood he shapes.

Transmission

Transmission is the soul of all know-how. For Pierre-Henri, the challenge lies in passing on the skills acquired through experience, beyond written records. While seeking to share his craft, he discovered a paradoxical need: the need to unlearn his own practice to teach it more effectively. By breaking down movements that had become second nature, he finds a way to verbalize the intangible. He believes this process of un-learning is the very cornerstone of successful teaching and the driving force behind his own progress.

Driven by this desire to pass on his knowledge, Pierre-Henri found in the Fondation a partner who shared his vision of craftsmanship. This partnership took tangible form through the acquisition of a hydraulic press, a vital tool for approaching the creation of monumental scale works with peace of mind and the benefit of an optimal working environment.