Portraits

Samuel Accoceberry

 Plastician Designer

Samuel Accoceberry, a French designer dividing his time between Paris and the Basque Country,
offers elegant, refined, and graphic creations that explore materials and volumes. Through his limited editions
and collectibles, he aims to highlight the artisanal gesture and engage in an approach that combines
traditional craftsmanship with contemporary production.

What is your background?

I turned to applied arts as early as high school in Bordeaux. I then chose to study architecture, but I felt creatively constrained there. I shifted towards industrial design with a BTS. At that time, there was a significant divide between industrial design and its more artistic side, which was taught in art schools. I was interested in both, so I continued at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Art de Nancy. I already had this transversal approach and the desire to break free from existing frameworks. After my studies, I worked in a studio. I wanted to “do my apprenticeship” and discover different working methods. I traveled, worked in Italy with Antonio Citterio and Rodolfo Dordoni, and then in Paris with Arik Lévy, among others. I enjoyed those years responding to client requests, adhering to brand codes, while also incorporating the signature of a studio. It’s also where you learn to work as a team, assemble files, and prepare projects.

After a few years, and after benefiting from the VIA Project Aid and winning two Red Dot design awards that brought me visibility, I decided to establish my own studio to explore all facets of my creativity. However, I missed the pure creation aspect, without commissions. I wanted to offer limited editions with a more personal expression, which I could create myself or in collaboration with artisans.

What drives you in your profession, and more specifically in creating collectibles?

In the studio, or in commissioned design, we must work with the purpose of an object, the discourse, and the aesthetics of the brand. This approach is enriching due to the constraints it imposes. When I realize a personal idea, the exercise is different; we offer an intimate expression and reveal the essence from which we draw our elements of inspiration. We free ourselves from a brief and a guiding line. With this “collectible” line, I nurture both my curiosity and my freedom. I express, without constraints, what matters to me.

You maintain a very special relationship with artisans; can you tell us more about it?

I am not the one who creates. I imagine, and I surround myself with people who possess the necessary skills and technical gestures essential for the realization of a piece. They master the materials, the stages of production, and the tools. I appreciate the time spent in meetings. In fact, I don’t necessarily bring an idea; I allow time for discovery so that we can mutually understand our worlds and our ways of working. Then, it becomes a true exchange until the piece is finalized. On both sides, it is a risk because we never know how things will turn out, but the interactions are always enriching: we share our knowledge to create something new. I remain loyal to the workshops, artisans, and technicians with whom I have had the chance to work, and it is very important for me to highlight their contributions by mentioning them. The project or object that results embodies the narrative of this collaboration.

Who is your clientele for these collectibles, and how can they discover them?

These unique pieces, produced in small series and stemming from exceptional craftsmanship, are aimed at interior designers and individuals looking for singular and expressive objects to enhance a space. Whether it’s a hotel lobby, a private entrance, a living room in a home, or boutiques, they add a striking and distinctive touch. I showcase them at trade shows, in galleries (both in France and abroad), or during collaborations with architects and designers, as I did with Minotti for the Milan Design Week 2024. They are also visible in my workshop in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. Some are available in stock, others are made to order, and some are still in the conceptual stage…

What are your areas of development and aspirations?

I want to continue developing the “collectible” approach, of course. But I don’t want to neglect the other aspect of my studio work, as it is an important source of exploration and a channel for expressing my curiosity. For me, one cannot function without the other. It’s a way of being somewhat multilingual.

Where does your inspiration come from?

From everything! From what I see, what I hear, what I experience, and from my desires. I try to note everything and not lose anything! I am curious about furniture, urbanism, the history of arts and techniques… My inspiration is layered, and my explorations have allowed me to build a materials library from which I draw. I don’t have the time to transform all my ideas into tangible objects. Often, I let an idea develop; it evolves and matures in my mind until it is nearly complete, and then I move on to sketching. But I also enjoy allowing room for chance. For example, the idea for the Big Scale lamp came to me while playing with a model: a piece ended up upside down, and I found the aspect interesting… so I pushed the idea to its limits. I cherish those moments when we step outside of mastery and make way for letting go. Working with artisans also allows for rethinking and reformulating ideas. I like to remain open and maintain a degree of spontaneity, along with a certain mental flexibility that lets me glimpse possibilities.

How did your encounter with Collection Latil happen,
and why did you choose to join the Collection?

I would cross paths with Anne-Sophie Latil at trade shows, and I was intrigued by what she offered to artisans and artists. Since I am not directly involved in “making,” I didn’t envision myself entering the Collection. However, when I met the team, I was charmed by the establishment of a virtuous network that is both very targeted and very open, especially to designers, gallerists, publishers, in addition to artisans. Collection Latil allows different trades and approaches to resonate within a shared universe.

Crédits : ©Yosuke Kojima, ©Alexandre Delamadeleine, ©Samuel Accoceberry

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