VALENTIN BOTCAZOU
Helen Gerry
2023/24 Erasmus Internship Programme / Workshop Technician & Teaching Assistant
I am a 24-year-old cabinetmaker from France. I started my career in this field in 2020, retraining after an engineering master’s degree in materials science. I studied and worked as an apprentice in France for 3 years. Fully dedicating my weeks to furniture making. I worked for my company from Monday to Friday and created for my own work at the weekends.
In 2022 I received a French award recognizing me as a “deserving apprentice” and in 2023 I was awarded second place in the regional arts and crafts competition organized by the National French Institute of Craftsmanship (INMA).
In September 2023, after completing a second diploma in furniture making, I arrived in Nelson to start a post-graduation exchange program at the Center for Fine Woodworking. I worked as a workshop technician/teaching assistant, and it was during these first months that I began working on the Golf side table. In January 2024, I was invited to join the 2024 Artist in Residency programme led by Michael Fortune & Lou Fuller where I developed the Kumiko Hi-Fi cabinet.
Both of my pieces were entered into the Australian Wood Review’s 2024 Maker of the Year competition.
Kumiko Cabinet - American Walnut & American Maple 900mm x 550mm x 540mm
The Kumiko Cabinet is a Japanese-inspired hi-fi unit combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. It features a kerf bent-laminated carcass made of American Walnut, with see through doors with Kumiko panels made of American Maple.
Golf Table - American White Oak, Ash & European Beech 430mm x 480mm x 430mm
The Golf Table is a design attempt that seeks to blend angular geometric shapes with soft curves. It features a solid oak carcass assembled using half-mitred dovetails. The unit is supported by four curved legs inspired by 18th-century French design, reinforced with curved lacquered pieces. The piece is completed with a traditional ash drawer, assembled with dovetails and a textured lacquered European Beech front. To add lightness and a touch of colour, the front and leg reinforcements have been finished in light blue lacquer.