Chimera

The work originates from the designer’s fascination with drapery, feathers, scales and animal skins. The collaboration with Castorina allowed her to work with these patterns and their decorative power. The project blurs the boundary between abstraction and figuration. It is a collection of chimeras, halfway between design and sculpture, made by mixing different cabinet-making textures together. The chimeras take the form of small seats emerging from the ground. A work of imagination and dreams.

“It was a real pleasure to visit the workshop in Florence and discover the significance of Castorina’s history. Craftsmanship is everywhere, with thousands of items being made since 1895 and still relevant today. I had prepared some ideas, but I wanted to see the atelier’s work first—I wanted to be open and let the visit inspire me. But it was all very quick, because Marco and I really understood each other, and I felt it was the right time to show him the concept. Marco loved it, so we jumped at it! And we realised that it was the right project for both of us, leaving room for our sensitivity and craft.” (Constance Guisset)

“Constance told me that she already had an idea, but perfected it when we met in my workshop and she could see our carvings and productions in person. When we first met, she immediately showed interest in certain forms and asked me if it was technically possible to create a set of sculpted forms, each morphing into the next. It felt absolutely natural and extraordinarily creative to work together.” (Marco Castorina)