1971-2013 Encounter and sharing
In 1971 Émile Souply met the young designer and silversmith Bernard François. The workshop where they collaborated was the Atelier de Forest, which the artist also shared with two other silversmiths, Claude Wesel and Michel Louwette. The encounter with Bernard François marked a turning point in Émile’s career.
Unconsciously confronted with a ‘crisis of identity in the silversmith’s craft’, Émile Souply and Bernard François pondered the status of the art jewel and the place of the artistic craftsman in society. One common characteristic that both of them had was a strong technical foundation from the École des Métiers d’Art in Maredsous. This was to be of pivotal importance throughout their careers, resulting in a complicity and an attitude of sharing in their approach to industrial design.