Maker Monday: An aspire Exclusive Interview With Steven Leprizé

Grandson of a carpenter and son of an agricultural mechanic, Steven Leprizé spent his entire childhood surrounded by craftsmanship; spending his days in his father’s museum workshop, in the sawmill, with his scientist biologist grandfather and in his mother’s restaurant. His relationship with materials and engineering became visceral. He trained as a cabinetmaker, among others at the Ecole Boulle Paris, from which he graduated top of his class in 2008. While he started his professional career as a cabinetmaker in Paris, Steven also began to create new aesthetics and to develop new materials inspired by movement, surrealist art, traditional craftsmanship and the scientist’s innovations. To be free to create his own pieces, in 2009 he created the ARCA (Workshop of Research and Creation in Furniture), specializing in cabinet making and developing innovative wood derivatives such as flexible marquetry and thermoformable wood. Learn more about Steven and his innovative mind in today’s Maker Monday.

Melt features a melted marble base and the flexible wood technology, WOOWOOD, giving the piece of wood movable pockets.

Andrew Joseph: Can you describe your design philosophy in three words?
Steven Leprizé: Movement, traditional craftsmanship, innovation.

AJ: Where is your favorite place to find inspiration?
SL: My holidays, particularly in Brittany, or during artistic residencies. In short, the times when I get out of the studio and out of operations.

AJ: What is your favorite aspect of your work?
SL: Freehand sketches with notes of intent: that’s when ideas are born… Then the moment when these ideas appear in the workshop in real life after hours of design, choice, imagination, manufacture and hassle. But I also love passing on ideas, because you can’t put a price on that.

The Wood Eagle motorcycle incorporates a range of Leprizé’s cutting-edge innovations, including a unique design where the saddle reveals itself when the ignition is engaged.

AJ: Can you tell us about a project where you faced a design challenge?
SL: I’m hesitating between the WOOD EAGLE motorbike and the COMBE LAVAL flexible wood fresco. The fresco combines great complexity because for the first time, we made our flexible material react to the presence of people. For the first time, we made a traditional multi-wood marquetry flexible, and it didn’t go as planned… Too busy with customer projects, it’s very complex to succeed in developing this type of project with in-house resources and without an order, but once again my wonderful team rose to the challenge

AJ: What is your favorite period in design and why?
SL: Art Nouveau was the last period in which ornamentation was abundant. I like to think that if it hadn’t been for the war, we’d still be in this very graphic period, corresponding to the beginning of the explosion in technology.

Steven is also a machine and cabinet making teacher at the famous Boulle School and does several conferences and workshops to pass his passion and knowledge.

AJ: If you weren’t a designer, what would you be doing and why?
SL: Motorbike policeman, to protect people, ride a motorbike a lot of the time and deal with very intense moments.

AJ: The best advice you would give your younger self?
SL: “No regrets don’t change anything.”

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