Elizabeth Garouste's 'Âmes vagabondes' Blends Memory, Craft, and Design

Parisian artist-designer Elizabeth Garouste presents 'Âmes vagabondes,' an exhibition at Galerie Avant-scène that merges art, design, and craftsmanship. Born in Paris after WWII to a Jewish family from Eastern Europe, Garouste's work is deeply influenced by her childhood trauma—half her family was deported—and her fear of furniture coming alive at night. She studied at the École Alsacienne and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, later failing her baccalaureate before attending École Camondo. In the late 1970s, she collaborated with Gérard Garouste on masks for the Palace nightclub, then partnered with Mattia Bonetti as Garouste & Bonetti, reviving narrative, baroque decorative arts. Her pieces—chairs, lamps, vases, tables—are functional yet poetic, each telling a story. For example, 'La Chaise' uses straw and forest wood, inspired by Napoleon III's son fighting Zulus. Materials include wood, bronze, ceramic, and wrought iron. The exhibition's theme is nature, with each object named after a plant or flower. Garouste works closely with artisans, learning techniques like blown glass and hand-woven carpets. Now nearing 80, she plans to focus more on drawing, painting, and sculpture, moving away from functional design.