Jonathän Jouan

Furniture maker

©Jonathän Jouan

Straw at your service

Jonathän is inspired by folklore and traditional techniques
He creates furniture combining private and public spaces
Jonathän lived in Canada before Denmark

A French Breton schooled in Montreal and now living in Copenhagen, furniture designer Jonathän Jouan finds inspiration in the folkloric past. Combining studies in history of art with cabinetmaking, in his work today, Jonathän taps into Japanese folklore and addresses how we live. His pieces are transformative, alternating between shielding private space and inviting the outside world in. Jonathän brings community and engaging with our environment into play in all his designs, which are unique and limited. In his collection of Eggÿ mirrors, the back of each mirror is as much of a statement as the face. Jonathän puts straw, wood and traditional aesthetics to the service of design solutions for the future.

Interview

©Jonathän Jouan

©Jonathän Jouan

What has art history brought to your practice?: Art theory and iconography helped me, but it was mostly about feeling the magnificence of peoples of the past that inspired me. They created with total dedication as an expression of love. You can see this in every detail of their artistic production.
Do you enjoy making bespoke work?: Yes, sometimes a customer tells me what they desire or a story that is dear to them, and I try to shape this into a piece of furniture or object. And sometimes they hand me the freedom to make a unique piece, which really develops my imagination.
What impact has moving to Denmark had on your work?: Montreal opened my mind on a personal and professional level; I felt great freedom there. Moving to Denmark, where the design tradition is very strong, is an extraordinary experience for me. The codes are established here. I see my sensibilities changing, and this does exciting things to my work.
What is the future for straw marquetry?: Straw marquetry is an extraordinary ornamentation technique that can’t be made by robots. It is, above all, a question of knowledge. We have seen a lot of knowledge lost over the centuries, and I don't want this to be one of them.

Jonathän Jouan is a rising star: he began his career in 2020