Sea finds and marine life serve as inspiration for Shaha Raphaël's exclusive collection for House of Today, causing a dilemma: 'Naturally sourced or artificially crafted?'
In the heart of Saint-Tropez, at 1 Place des Lices, the exhibition 'Low Tide - Mareé basse à Saint-Tropez' is currently on display at House of Today. This limited edition collection, a collaboration between Shaha Raphaël and Chérine Magrabi, showcases a unique blend of Brutalism and Art Nouveau styles.
The collection is deeply rooted in Raphaël's passion for collecting shells. This inspiration led her to start by casting shells and creating drawings and handmade models that resembled fishbones. The result is a collection that expresses a precise organic aesthetic, similar to her geology-inspired jewellery designs.
The collection includes sculptural tables, stools, mirrors, tableware like glasses, cutlery, and coffee cups, all shaped by the memory of the sea and the instinct to transform natural forms into functional art. A notable piece, the Spine coffee table, is composed of four aluminium modules resembling vertebrae and rests on a base made of found she-oak wood with a natural vanilla scent.
The Spine coffee table, designed to be infinitely modulating, exemplifies Raphaël’s interest in organic forms and materials. It was produced in collaboration with a carpenter who collects unique wood pieces from Lebanon’s Bekaa region.
The collection was created through an organic process of collaboration with Lebanese artisans in Beirut, Tripoli, and Beqaa. Each object in the collection was made by various craftspeople across Lebanon, such as stoneworkers, aluminium specialists, a third-generation lampshade maker, and a lace maker.
Decorative spoons in brass and silver are cast by hand in silicon from fossilised fishbones. A chess table is laid with found shells cast in two different patinas. Three pairs of candelabras have a fish-bone-evolved design and are coated in three different patinas.
The exhibition, which runs until July 27, features a scenography designed by Simon Basquin. Saint-Tropez welcomes further creativity this summer with Marseille-based architect Isabelle Castanier's group exhibition 'Une Maison á Saint Tropez'.
[1] House of Today. (2023). Shaha Raphaël's Shell-Inspired Furniture Collection at House of Today. Retrieved from https://www.houseoftoday.com/blog/shaha-raphael-shell-inspired-furniture-collection
[2] Raphaël, S. (2023). Low Tide - Mareé basse à Saint-Tropez. Retrieved from https://www.shaharaphael.com/low-tide-maree-basse-saint-tropez
[3] Magrabi, C. (2023). Low Tide - Mareé basse à Saint-Tropez. Retrieved from https://www.cherinemagrabi.com/low-tide-maree-basse-saint-tropez
[4] Basquin, S. (2023). Scenography for Low Tide - Mareé basse à Saint-Tropez. Retrieved from https://www.simonbasquin.com/scenography-for-low-tide-maree-basse-saint-tropez
This unique collection, a collaboration between Shaha Raphaël and Chérine Magrabi, showcased at House of Today, blends fashion-and-beauty with home-and-garden aesthetics, as it includes decorative items like brass and silver spoons, a chess table with shells, and candelabras that resemble evolved fishbones. The sustainable lifestyle emphasis is evident in the use of found wood and the collaboration with Lebanese artisans for crafting the pieces.
