Pierre Salagnac is our Artisan of the Month!

Pierre Salagnac is a bronze sculptor graduated from Ecole Boulle (France). After working for renowned workshops, including Maison Charles, he sat up his own business in 2019, where he has been making jewellery and furniture pieces such as his iconic Elan tables, one of which joined the collections of the Mobilier National in 2023. Bonzaïs Sculptures, his signature, are the result of his great talent. Pierre Salagnac took an interest in these trees because, like bronze, they are shaped by the hand of men.

In this new episode of L’Artisan du Mois, you will discover the work of one of the 2020 Fondation Rémy Cointreau’s prize-winners. This poetic video is a travel into Pierre Salagnac’s know-how.

The craftsman

Craftsmanship is a family affair initiated by the eldest brother. He embarked on a career in arts and crafts, taking his entire siblings with him. Pierre Salagnac had initially decided to specialise in wood, but, instead, bronze chose him in the first year of his apprenticeship.

This material preference is an obvious choice. It is alive and sensitive because of the alloy of metals it is composed of and constrained like the bonzaï. Pierre Salagnac dives into the quest of material understanding, using all his senses to reveal the shapes.

The gesture

The bronze “savoir-faire” is not associated to a single gesture. In fact, to create bronze pieces, 3 specialties are required to master his know-how: turning, assembling, and chiselling. This combination of skills leads Pierre Salagnac to enjoy several gestures with his whole body engaged. Flameworking, chiselling, turning, he cherishes all the techniques and loves to explore other crafts to push back the bronze sculptor’s limits.

The transmission

For Pierre Salagnac, it is the craftsmen’s duty to pass on their know-how, otherwise the art trades would be in danger. Today he teaches his son how to become a bronze sculptor. With great sensitivity, he passes on his knowledge and vision without ever imposing them on him. With humility, Pierre Salagnac looks for the right words to explain his gestures he repeats over and over.

Passing on fine crafts knowledge is at the heart of the Fondation Rémy Cointreau’s mission, which is why it helped Pierre Salagnac at a decisive moment in his career.