Born in Ivory Coast, Jean Servais
Somian is a designer, cabinetmaker, and sculptor, known for his abilities to
transform wood, his material of choice. He is a very sharp artist in terms of
finishes, and he introduced the original color into his works. Inspired by
nature, Somian works with ebony, coconut, or amazaque wood. His pieces, an
example of hybrid art and mixed influences, revisit everyday African objects
such as old canoes transformed into sofas, trunks of coconut trees that become
mirrors, bookcases, or plastic basins overturned and topped with wax cushions,
and many more. For many years, Somian lived between Africa and Europe – being
trained at the age of 16 with the Lebanese Georges Ghandour and working at the
cabinet-making center of Ghandour in Abidjan; in Europe, he worked with the
craftsman of Grand-Bassam then in Lausanne within the agency of design Daniel
Beck. Produced in small series and endowed with a strong personality, his
pieces, which sometimes border on sculpture, are nonetheless functional and
utilitarian.
Featured image: Jean Servais Somian - Tabourets
dentelle, 2020. Coconut tree lacquered with blue, yellow and red. 17 7/10 × 9
2/5 in. 45 × 24 cm. This work is part of a limited edition set. Photo courtesy
193 Gallery