A “raison d’être”

Here’s a being magnetized by desire of beauty. Guided by his passion, Marc Raimbault pursues his path for over 30 years. Cabinetmaker in Grez-Neuville, he places his work within an age-old tradition. His quest, whether for the common or the rare, drives him close to different woods (rosewood, acacia, Macassar ebony…) and other materials (shagreen, parchment, carbon…). Each one of them is a living source, with its creative potential and its initial time. The pieces of furniture and works of art that come into being from them belong to the beginnings, foretellers of the cycles of change, creators of new life, on the eve of dreamland.

Indeed, the creative work of Marc Raimbault resonates in many ways as a constellation of signs that melt invention, freedom and pleasure into one. He sets on a bold course which leads him to a very personal style, sometimes strong and sophisticated, sometimes minimal and naturally graceful. In his pursuit of perfection, the cabinetmaker enjoys combining the strength of the raw material with simple volumes and clean lines, all this with pinpoint accuracy. But there is much more to this artist. Finely carved and glowing, his work is also a way of outlining the invisible, a means of putting his inner vision into shape. Each of Raimbault’s creations gives us a glimpse of his deepest thoughts. To create a work of art is to tell one’s experience of the world.

With “Tas de bois” (Pile of Wood), he transforms Macassar ebony into the image of a hinterland, the occurrence of a faraway land designed to stand the test of time. This chest of drawers with its gold enhanced dark depths invites us to adopt horizontality. Elsewhere, a light forest, stemming from the same type of wood, reaches towards the sky. Actinolite comes to mind, this stone of light from an ancient temple of Prague. To create is to accept dark melancholy, to be open to the grand scheme of the world, enriched by our survivals and to make the lust for life and desire spring up.
Every creation is a heartbeat, an encounter with the Other, with oneself, with time. The milk-white “La Batiaz” is intense visual poetry. An introspective and lonesome room opening, half-opening… where we could instill our dreams, deep and solemn like lifelong feelings. To create is to enter another time scale, inspired by a landscape, the intimate print of a memory, the contours of a face.

But there is also the joy, the desire to excel, the exultation of the present moment and of the possible future. Indeed, to create is to tell the state of things that broaden horizons. There’s nothing more natural, Marc Raimbault loves walking towards the unknown, away from its gloomy unease, ready to grasp the strength of freedom.

Hélène Ribot


Photo : Jean-François Rabillon