Behind the scenes at Majuno
Marika Michelon’s straw marquetery pieces make materials converse. Straw, various metals, pigments or marble powder are gracefully brought together by the skilled hands of the contemporary artist. Her custom-made creations, whether they are single pieces or small series, are manually crafted in her Saint-Vincent-based workshop, in the Lyon region.
Marika masters graphic research as well as marquetry of a material deemed fragile: straw. By combining it with other materials, she creates plays of light and reflection.
For Majuno, she devised three trays mixing straw, metal and marble or quartz coating.
Why did you choose to craft straw marquetry ?
After graduating from Penninghen with a degree in graphic arts, I worked as an illustrator and artistic director for various brands. But I always felt like I lacked contact with materials since I exclusively worked on a computer.
Around 2017, I discovered straw marquetery; its craftsmanship was completely forgotten. It was a real esthetic shock. Then, I spent a year learning from the best teacher, in Lison de Caunes’ workshop.
How did you approach Majuno’s project?
As often the case, graphic research led me to my first ideas: a quest for reflections in straw or metal. I wanted to present various ranges of colors and alloys in order to showcase the extent of what straw marquetry can offer.
Restraints, brittleness, crafting time:
- The pieces are easy to restore.
- There is no height limit.
- Varnish can be added to guarantee an optimal conservation.
- A piece’s crafting time can go from 6 to 10 weeks.