A l'accélération et à l'oubli
Graduating in cabinetmaking from the École Boulle in 2001, Nicolas Pinon discovered Japanese urushi lacquer in Barcelona before training in Japan under master Nagatoshi Onishi, a leading specialist in the ancestral kanshitsu technique. This immersion in a millennia-old craft marked a decisive turning point: upon returning to France, he founded his studio in 2008 and devoted himself both to the restoration of antique pieces and to contemporary creation.
Graduating in Fine Crafts and Design from the École Boulle, Dimitry Hlinka trained in cabinetmaking, marquetry, and event design before directing his practice toward material experimentation. Between 2015 and 2017, he was supported by the Ateliers de Paris incubator before establishing his studio in Passage Brûlon, Paris. Working across design and fabrication – from prototypes to furniture and objects – he pursues an applied research practice in which each project becomes a field of investigation guided by material exploration and open to collaborative dynamics.
In 2020, Dimitry Hlinka began collaborating with Nicolas Pinon. Their dialogue between design and Japanese lacquer was recognized with the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Intelligence of the Hand in the “Dialogues” category. In 2024, a residency at Villa Kujoyama gave them the opportunity to explore the history of urushi firsthand in Japan. From this immersion emerged Asa, a collection presented at the Révélations Biennial in 2025.
Together, they continue to expand their research by applying lacquer to new fields – including furniture, jewelry, and decorative works – while combining it with technologies such as 3D printing and laser engraving. Their collaboration highlights lacquer’s ability to reinvent itself within contemporary creation without breaking from its millennia-old heritage.