Steve Dolfi x Marion Graux: a chocolatier, a ceramist, a collab
To continue our series of gourmet conversations, Gault&Millau met Steve Dolfi, one of the owners of the chocolate factory À la Mère de famille, and ceramist Marion Graux.
When a chocolatier meets a ceramist, Easter eggs are transformed into a gourmet tale. Matter against matter, almost skin against skin, the eggs naturally curl up in the eggcups, and it's up to each of us to imagine the story to tell...
How was the meeting organized?
Steve Dolfi: Very simply. I live next door to Marion's studio and was immediately drawn to her world of ceramics and dried flowers in a very family atmosphere. You can see Marion at work behind her window, and on Wednesdays it's not unusual to see children there. I called on her for the first time when we were writing the Maison Stohrer book. We chose to showcase our pastries on her plates.
Marion Graux: À la Mère de Famille is a house I've known all my life; it's part of the gourmet landscape and has a strong link with childhood and the imagination. It's also a strong emotional ritual, as my father always gave me a box of À la Mère de famille chocolate when my children were born. So when they approached me for Easter, I said yes without even knowing about the project!
How did you go about imagining this collaboration?
SD : Every time we work with an artist, we give them carte blanche. With Marion, the idea of the egg cup quickly became obvious. The raw, mineral, hand-modelled material contrasts with the smooth, shiny chocolate. And once the chocolate has been eaten, the eggcups can be reused. The smaller ones return to their original function, while the larger ones can be used as centerpieces for salt and pepper, or as candle-holders.
MG: Ever since I became a mother, I've always been fascinated by children's relationship with their bodies: when they're small, they come to nestle in their parent's body. The idea of making eggcups extends my fascination. The egg and the nest that protects it. The eggcups are made of glazed stoneware, and are elementary, functional, comforting and unpretentious pieces, charged with maternal emotion. As for the colors, we chose them together, the green and caramel of course from À la Mère de famille, and the pastel pink.
Collaboration: freedom or constraint?
SD: Freedom! It allows us to discover new worlds, new personalities. We've been doing these collaborations for over 10 years for our Advent calendars. For Easter, this is the second year.
MG: A great deal of freedom and joy. A collaboration is a joy. It allows you to step out of your own way of thinking, to take a step to the side. I often liken a collaboration to a dance you start with another brand.
What do these collaborations bring you?
SD: Collaborations allow us to break out of our routine. Without collaborations, our eggs looked like any other Easter egg, without necessarily adding any extra soul. There's no doubt that collaborations give us a boost. It also allows us to regain our sense of who we are and to try out new things, shapes and materials. It's always extremely positive. And collaborating also means getting closer to people, creating a new bond, sharing our emotions and our time.
MG: It's an enormous opportunity, a new playground, a chance to meet another designer and his or her world.
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