Straw is remarkable for its ability to capture light. It remains humble, yet it illuminates once worked. It immediately evokes Venice, where reflections are a material in their own right, gliding across facades, fragmented in blown glass, stretched across fabrics, or floating on the water's surface. This dialogue between matter and light is what this workshop explores through straw marquetry.
The workshop invites participants to delve into the intricacies of a material too often misunderstood: its fibrous texture, its capacity to diffract light, and its decorative potential. Participants learn to prepare the straw, transform it, and precisely cut and position each strand. A technical approach, certainly, but one that serves a personal visual expression. Skills are honed, perception is refined, and patience becomes a creative tool.
More than an introduction, the experience is akin to a sensory immersion in the material. Each participant leaves with a unique piece, a true micro-landscape of reflections, where their own aesthetic and the discreet poetry of straw are revealed.
Upon completion of the training, the trainee will be able to:
Long reserved for cabinetmaking workshops and luxury interiors, straw marquetry is now captivating an audience seeking authentic craftsmanship and precise techniques. A training course dedicated to this ancient art invites participants to delve into the refined world of straw, a humble yet surprisingly rich material.
Accessible to all, the program adapts to each individual's pace. The approach is based on the gradual discovery of the material and on hands-on practice. For beginners, the focus is primarily on becoming familiar with the material, understanding its textures and its play of light. Those who already have some experience can concentrate their work on a personal project, guided by customized support.
This training begins with an introduction to the history of straw marquetry and the preparation of the material. This is followed by learning essential techniques: cutting, arranging the straw into geometric or radiating patterns, gluing, and finishing. The straw is transformed in the hands of the participants, revealing its golden hues and striking natural elegance.
The experience goes beyond simple technical learning: it cultivates observation, patience, and creativity, in a process that respects both time and materials.
At the end of the workshop, participants leave with a deeper understanding of this craft and the satisfaction of having created a piece where straw, simple and luminous, becomes a true element of contemporary art.
Each participant progresses at their own pace, according to their abilities. Once the basics are mastered, the guidance focuses on the project itself.
Morning and Afternoon
Morning and Afternoon
The only motif unique to straw marquetry
Morning and Afternoon
Morning and Afternoon
Morning and Afternoon
Born from a career change and a fascination with light, Valérie Colas des Francs has established herself as one of the leading figures in straw marquetry, a French craft originating in the 17th century and revived during the Art Deco period.
A student of Lison de Caunes, a master craftswoman and leading figure in the field, she trained alongside her from 2000 before opening her own workshop in Nemours in 2014.
Since then, she has combined heritage restoration, contemporary creation, and bespoke pieces for a French and international clientele. Straw, which she describes as a “simple, natural, clean, and luminous” material, has fueled her aesthetic exploration for over twenty years: seemingly rustic, it reveals shifting reflections and an unexpected modernity in her hands.
By adapting this art form to new territories—furniture, jewelry, fashion, and visual arts—Valérie Colas des Francs creates a dialogue between simplicity and innovation, revealing the full richness of a humble material transformed into a vehicle for contemporary elegance and emotion.
Training 100% financeable by AFDAS, or partially covered by AGEFICE.
AFDAS can fully fund training courses conducted outside of France, under certain conditions.
This program is for affiliated or registered artists and authors, as well as performing arts professionals working on a freelance basis.
If you are eligible, we encourage you to contact our sales department beforehand via the "Information Request" form to prepare your application, or to register directly through the page of your chosen training course.
Isola di San Servolo,
1, Venice, Italy 30124
T: +33 (0)3 86 45 23 42
contact@campusmana.com
