Marseille, France
Drawing from the shared legacy of an idealised antiquity, the Carlès & Demarquet duo presents a series of fossil- like objects, sculpting wood to blur its material essence—animal or vegetal, coral, reef, or shell. Their work seeks to render it simultaneously timeless and resilient to the passage of time.
Both trained in cabinetmaking— one with the Compagnons du Tour de France, the other at the École Boulle— Romain Carlès and Paul Demarquet first crossed paths in Marseille. Their collaboration began in 2019, driven by a shared desire to explore creative realms close to their hearts.
From their workshop in Marseille, the two artisans perpetuate a deeply rooted tradition of woodworking, intertwined with the Mediterranean art of living. They design unique or limited-edition pieces—furniture and objects that are modern, timeless, radiant, and evocative of the sea. These creations could belong to an imagined civilization, revealing their elegance to those who take the time to observe closely.
The duo presents their last collection ‘Ondes’, a poetic and optimistic vision of timeless furniture pieces. Through this collection, the duo offers a sculptural reinterpretation of traditional carpentry furniture. The vibrancy of their sculptural work evokes the aesthetic of Impressionist paintings from the South of France. Each piece is handcrafted by the duo, using French maple wood and exclusively tinted with plant-based pigments.
