Steve Dolfi x Inès Mélia: a chocolatier, a ceramist, a collab'
For Easter, À la Mère de Famille has teamed up with Inès Mélia to create a unique collection based around the egg. Steve Dolfi, one of the chocolate factory's owners, and the artist tell us more.
For Easter, the chocolate house À la Mère de Famille has teamed up with artist Inès Mélia to create an original collection. While the renowned chocolaterie reinvents its traditional Easter eggs every year, Inès Mélia has designed flower-shaped eggcups to showcase them. Steve Dolfi, one of the owners of À la Mère de Famille, and Inès Mélia, a multi-disciplinary artist, take us behind the scenes of this collaboration.
How did you become aware of each other's work?
Steve Dolfi: We ran into each other quite a few times, often late in the day, when she was DJing for fashion houses. We also have friends in common. That's how I started following what she was doing. When the opportunity arose, it seemed obvious for us to collaborate.
Inès Mélia: For me, it was a discovery, even though I felt I'd always known À la Mère de Famille. Steve often brought back cakes and chocolates when we got together with friends. The proposal to collaborate came naturally.
Why did you choose Easter rather than any other time?
Steve Dolfi : This is the third time we've worked with an artist for Easter, after Pia Chevalier and Marion Graux. We like to create unique objects in collaboration with artists who inspire us. at Christmas, we already have our Advent calendars and gift boxes, whereas Easter is an ideal time to work around the egg, which is an emblematic element of our house.
Inès Mélia: I was approached with this project, and told that every year, À la Mère de Famille collaborates with an artist. I like the idea of being constrained by time and theme. Imagining an egg cup, an object that is both decorative and functional, immediately inspired me.
How did you come up with the design for these eggcups?
Steve Dolfi: We don't restrict ourselves in these collaborations. The idea was to create a meaningful object that could be used both for chocolate and for other purposes.
Inès Mélia: I immediately agreed, especially as I didn't have an eggcup at home. I found it amusing to create an object that was both decorative and functional, but also sometimes absurd, as the largest format is almost 20 cm high. Whatever the size of the eggcup, the idea was always that the heart of the egg, which is yellow, should resemble the pistil of a flower.
What do your disciplines have in common?
Steve Dolfi: There are more than you might think. Ceramics and chocolate share the same constraints: demolding, shape creation, temperature management. The approach is similar.
Inès Mélia : What interests me is working with materials, whatever the medium. I've already worked with cheese, creating fake candlesticks. I find it fascinating to play with materials, and I'd love to make chocolate sculptures!
What are the pros and cons of this collaboration?
Steve Dolfi: It's hard to find any drawbacks. Even if we're still revolving around the chicken-and-egg theme, working with an artist pushes us to renew our creativity and think outside the box.
Inès Mélia : I can't think of any drawbacks, apart from perhaps receiving too many chocolates! (laughs) I love collaborations, they open me up to other skills and allow me to create objects that I wouldn't have imagined on my own.
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