- An educational programme established by Michelangelo Foundation in partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultreBringing together duos of Master Artisans and talented graduates to support craft and ensure the transmission of skills to future generations
Jaeger-LeCoultre and the Michelangelo Foundation are delighted to announce the successful conclusion of the initial phase of the inaugural Homo Faber Fellowship. This comprehensive seven-month program commenced in Portugal in September and featured a month-long residential masterclass in creativity and entrepreneurship, officially certified by ESSEC Business School.
Held at the Lisbon studio of the renowned Portuguese contemporary artist Joana Vasconcelos, the masterclass brought together 20 pairs of Master Artisans and newly graduated talents, known as Fellows. ESSEC provided a tailored program to the participants, covering topics such as entrepreneurial vision, leadership skills, brand desirability, digital marketing, and business planning. These subjects were new to the recent graduates but crucial for aspiring craft professionals.
Joanna Vasconcelos, selected as the ‘Godmother’ of the inaugural Homo Faber Fellowship cohort, shared her successful artistic vision during the program. She emphasized the fusion of territorial and ancestral crafts with a modern perspective, offering insights into her creative process through hands-on workshops. Additional support was provided by the Passa ao Futuro design agency, addressing design and sustainability issues.
During the masterclass, Jaeger-LeCoultre conducted a design case study centered around Art Deco. Catherine Rénier, the Maison’s CEO, and Lionel Favre, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Product Design Director, made a special trip to Lisbon to meet with the participants and engage in a collaborative exchange of ideas. Catherine Rénier conveyed Jaeger-LeCoultre’s vision and values regarding craftsmanship and education, principles deeply rooted in the brand’s rich history of knowledge transmission from master artisans to apprentices, ensuring the preservation of crucial skills for future generations.
Following the masterclass, each of the Fellows will embark on a six-month residential placement in the workshop of their respective Master. These Masters’ ateliers are located in five European countries: France, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. The Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and possess a wide array of craft skills, encompassing disciplines such as ceramics, textiles, bicycle building, feather-work, and basket weaving.
Starting in late October, the six-month residential placement within the Masters’ workshops will emphasize the enhancement of practical skills. While the Masters will impart their traditional expertise, the relationship is envisioned as a mutually beneficial exchange, with the Fellows infusing a modern perspective into their work, offering the Masters a fresh outlook on their crafts. Throughout their six-month residencies, the Fellows will receive ongoing mentorship and collaborate with their respective Masters to create an object, potentially for commercialization. These collaborative creations will revolve around a theme inspired by Art Deco.
The 20 duos of Masters and Fellows for the inaugural Homo Faber Fellowship are as follows, together with names and locations of the Fellows’ schools:
FRANCE
Marquetry: Pierre Henri Beyssac & Inès Rauch (Ecole Boulle, FR)
Bicycle building: Sébastien Klein & Tom Even (Ecole Boulle, FR)
Metalworking and engraving: Cédric Lamballais & Léandre Le Bail, (Ecole Estienne, FR)
Featherworking: Julien Vermeulen & Matéo Laurent (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, FR)
GREECE
Jewellery: Akis Goumas & Karolos Vlachiotis (Art Jewellery School, GR)
Ceramics: Giannis Zois & Shokhrukh Rakhimov (Kamoliddin Behzod Institute, Uzbekistan)
Textile design: Christiana Vardakou & Emily Criddle (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Stone sculpture: Tom von Kaenel & Clara Coujaty (Ecole Boulle, FR)
IRELAND
Ceramics: Mike Byrne & Noel Donnellan (Van der Kelen Logelain, BE)
Silversmithing: Seamus Gill & Claire Mooney (Ulster University, IRL)
Cabinetmaking: Stephen O’Briain & Richard Butler (Atlantic Technical University, IRL)
Furniture making: Sasha Sykes & Jackson Byrne (Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, IRL)
PORTUGAL
Stone sculpting: Alzira Antunes & Corentin Fossemo (L’Association Ouvrière des Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France, FR)
Textile design: Vanessa Barragão & Yaroslava Shkurat (Ecole Duperré, FR)
Basketweaving: Isabel Martins, & Alba Fernandez Castro (Escola Massana, ESP)
Cabinetmaking: Tomás Viana & Soraia Santa (Ricardo Espírito Santo e Silva Foundation, PT)
SPAIN
Engraving: Dan Benveniste & Guillermo Garcia (Artediez, ESP)
Gold thread embroidery: José Luis Sanchez Exposito & Gonzalo Garcia Cuevas (Centro de Formación Profesional Dolores Sopeña, ESP)
Textile design: Camila Puya de Arcos & Sofia Lausero (Escola Massana, ESP)
Metalworking: Ramón Recuero Ibáñez & David González Parrilla (Escuela de Herreros Ramón Recuero, ESP)