ARTISAN OF THE MONTH
21-02-2022
Eric Leblanc is a plasterer, staffer, stucco mason. After his studies with Compagnons du Devoir, he wishes to make live the tradition of his trade through his workshop, Les Métiers du Plâtre. Created in 1997, it received the French label EPV, Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant.
The restoration and the creation are both parts of his trade. For this know-how, Eric Leblanc was awarded by Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, The Club of the companies Placo/Saint Gobin and the Placo Trophees in 2019.
After being a plasterer apprentice, his mentor encouraged him to continue his studies with Compagnons du Devoir. He did this training and travelled in France an abroad to learn his trade and to master the different techniques of it and of his material.
His favourite part of his trade is the liberty of creation and the possibility to think about ambitious and major projects.
His know-how is about plaster. As a real craftsman, he plays with the material and transforms it in order to make it real. His biggest dream would be moulding plaster in weightlessness!
The craftsmanship is about the spirit and the hand. In fact, the spirit will conceptualize the projects and the hand will make them real.
Eric Leblanc doesn’t consider the craftsmanship without transmission. For him, every craftsman takes the risk to disappear with all their knowledge. Forget to transmit will lead to the loss of the invaluable savoir-faire. That is why, today, Eric Leblanc teaches regularly to apprentices.
Fondation Rémy Cointreau has helped Eric Leblanc with the acquisition of a plaster engraving machine. He doesn’t use it only for his know-how, but he gives the opportunity to other colleagues to use it on different materials such as metal or stone. He wishes to show the evolution and the innovation of his know-how through this device.
We are proud to support him!
Fondation Rémy Cointreau is pleased to announce the creation of its YouTube channel, as part of its ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge and supporting the transmission of art and craft trades. The channel will introduce you to the unique know-how of its laureates.
On November 22nd, 2018, at the town hall of Paris’s 12th arrondissement, Caroline Martin-Rilhac, on behalf of Fondation Rémy Cointreau, participated in the jury for the Grand Prize in Design for the City of Paris 2018.