Diane Chehab's Posts (7)

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In June, Earlene Cruz wrote this post about the book launch of De La Case A La Villa in New York: http://www.newyorkinfrench.net/profiles/blogs/francophone-power-couple-launches-book-in-chelsea?xg_source=activity#.VFaqSot4q84

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More recently, Epee Ellong and DIane Chehab were interviewed by Lady Ngo Mang for Telesud (a French cable station) for Lady Vous Ecoute, an hour-long program. This is the link, for your listening pleasure (in French).

http://www.telesud.com/le-replay/lecture/?replay_program=340&replay_id=x28swo0

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 De La Case A La Villa” is a discussion and analysis of the evolution of housing in African architecture from traditional dwellings to the modern home. 
FromHutToHouse7Cover.jpg?width=200This book attempts to answer the African architect’s constant professional dilemma of adherence to the concept of “modern African” architecture, while recognizing that Africans no longer wish to live in traditional-style dwellings as their life style and housing needs continue to evolve.
The direction taken by Epée Ellong, and Diane Chehab, is to follow traditional African architecture through time to today’s African architecture, to show the contradictions in the social and technical transformations through various historical phases.
To accomplish this work, Epée Ellong delves into his own experience and knowledge of Central Africa. He traveled extensively within Cameroon, and spoke with locals, including traditional chiefs and village elders.
The illustrations and images that accompany the text show the construction phases of traditional and contemporary architecture, as well as everyday objects. Many historical and linguistic references are used in order to better explain the changes on both a human and architectural level.
Subjects covered in the book include:
-Historical migrations in Africa
-Traditional architecture in Cameroon
-Colonial architecture
-The consequences of social changes on architecture and construction
-The evolution of housing in Cameroon
-Thoughts on the future of African architecture.
What we need in order to publish this book:
We need a minimum of $9,000 (USD) to edit, review graphics, and print the book, which will most probably be about 230 pages in a 8” x 10” format, with many color illustrations. The rewards proposed include, depending on the pledge, illustrated color bookmarks, a book, a signed book, a telephone conversation, or even your name mentioned in the book.
Why was this book written?
There are few books that explain the relationship between history, colonization, sociology and architecture in Africa
The authors
Epée Ellong is a native of Douala, Cameroon. He is an architect, trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. In 1983, he founded an architectural firm, CAEE, with his spouse, Diane Chehab, an American-born architect. The philosophy behind CAEE was to reincarnate African traditional architecture into modern design. A home whose basic materials are bamboo and palm fronds, and no electricity or running water, can’t be automatically transformed into a contemporary dwelling. Epée drew upon traditional symbolism and masks to “Africanize” CAEE’s architecture. The firm designed projects in Cameroon, Guinea, and Ivory Coast.
CAEE’s projects brought Epee to many parts of Cameroon, where he was familiarized with the country’s ethnic, cultural and geographic diversity. He met many regional traditional chiefs who provided him with the background of the architectural and social upheavals brought on by the arrival of Europeans. Together with these chiefs, he put together a nomenclature of the typological elements of traditional construction.
Epée has been practicing architecture in the United States since 1995. He has also taught Afro-centric architecture within specialized workshops, and speaks at American universities and at the Museum for African Art in New York.
Diane Chehab was born in the United States, lived in several countries and continents, and studied architecture at the Lebanese University in Beirut and at the Beaux Arts in Paris, France. She married her colleague, Epée Ellong, and moved to Cameroon to manage their architectural firm. She learned Duala, her spouse’s language, to better understand the culture. 
We thank you for helping us realize this project. We would be very grateful if you could pass the word on to your friends and family; share on Twitter, Facebook, etc. using Indiegogo’s tools. Here is the link: http://igg.me/at/delacasealavilla

Questions? Please email us: Padouk@PadoukDesign.com 
Indiegogo is a crowd funding site. If you wish to contribute to a campaign, you click on "contribute now" and choose your contribution. "Perks" are offered - in our case, a bookmark, a book, a signed book, etc... depending on how much is pledged. They charge you, but if the goal is not reached, you get your money back. You do NOT have to sign up for an Indiegogo membership to contribute, and you can use a credit card; you are NOT forced to have a Paypal account (even though it seems so!).
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Campagne Indiegogo http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/de-la-case-a-la-villa/x/1741775

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De la Case à la Villa traite du concept d'habiter dans l'architecture africaine.

Cet ouvrage est une tentative de réponse au dilemme constant que rencontre l'architecte africain, dans sa pratique du métier, à savoir la conception des architectures "africaines modernes" alors que les africains ne veulent plus vivre dans des cases ou des huttes de paille.

La démarche que propose Epée Ellong, avec Diane Chehab, est de parcourir ce qui constitue l'architecture africaine traditionnelle jusqu'à l'architecture africaine moderne, afin de faire apparaître les contradictions dans les mutations sociales et techniques au cours des différentes étapes historiques qui constituent cette époque. 

Pour accomplir ce travail, l'auteur puise dans son expérience et sa connaissance propre de l'Afrique Centrale. Il a voyagé considérablement à l'intérieur du Cameroun, et a discuté avec les ha

bitants, y inclus les chefs traditionnels et les anciens des villages.

Les illustrations et photos qui accompagnent les textes montrent les phases de construction des architectures traditionnelles, modernes, les objets usuels, etc... De nombreuses références historiques et linguistiques vernaculaires sont utilisées pour mieux expliquer et faire comprendre les changements sur le plan humain et architectural.

Parmi les sujets couverts dans l’ouvrage:

- Les migrations historiques en Afrique

- L’architecture traditionnelle au Cameroun

- L’architecture coloniale

- Les conséquences des changements sociaux sur l’architecture et l’espace bâti

- L’évolution de l’habitat au Cameroun

- Orientations pour une architecture

Nos besoins pour publier ce livre:

Nous avons besoin d'un minimum de $9000 (environ 6800 Euros) pour éditer, revoir la maquette, et imprimer le livre, qui fera (la maquette n'est pas finalisée) environ 230 pages en A4, avec de nombreuses illustrations en couleur. Nous proposons, selon la somme promise, des signets illustrés, le livre, le livre dédicacé, voire votre nom mentionné dans le livre. 

Pourquoi ce livre?

Il existe peu d'ouvrages qui explique les liens entre l'histoire, la colonisation, la sociologie et l'architecture en Afrique.

Les auteurs

Epée Ellong: Né au Cameroun, Epée Ellong poursuit des études d’architecture aux Beaux Arts à Paris, France. Après ses études, il rentre au Cameroun et crée un cabinet d’architecture avec son épouse, Diane Chehab, architecte américaine. Les projets du cabinet l’amènent à voyager dans différentes régions de l'Afrique Centrale et du Cameroun, et le familiarisent avec la diversité ethnique, culturelle et géographique du pays. Par la suite il rencontre plusieurs chefs traditionnels de ces régions, qui sont une grande source d’information sur les changements sociologiques et architecturaux intervenus avec l'arrivée des Européens. Il élabore avec eux une nomenclature en langue autochtone des éléments typologiques de la construction traditionnelle. Depuis 1995, Epée exerce l'architecture aux Etats Unis. Il enseigne également l'architecture "Afrocentrique" dans le cadre d’ateliers spécialisés, et présente son travail dans des universités américaines et au « Museum for African Art » à New York.

Diane Chehab: Née aux Etats-Unis, Diane Chehab a vécu sur plusieurs continents et a suivi des études d’architecture à l’Université Libanaise à Beyrouth, et aux Beaux Arts à Paris, en France. Ayant épousé son collègue Epée Ellong, elle rentre avec lui au Cameroun, et gère leur cabinet d’architecture. Elle apprend la langue Duala de son mari pour mieux appréhender la culture locale. Diane vit aux Etats-Unis avec son époux.

Merci de nous aider dans ce projet... 

Nous apprécierons énormément si vous pouvez faire passer le mot pour cette campagne aux personnes de votre entourage.

  • Faire suivre par email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. et sur New York in French!
  • Utilisez les outils fournis par Indiegogo!

Nous vous en remercions d'avance.

Note: Les dates et d'autres détails se préciseront une fois la campagne terminée. Si vous avez des questions, veuillez nous écrire à Padouk@padoukdesign.com.

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3438640532?profile=originalTowards the end of 2010, I wrote about Vickie Frémont on this site, as well as on my blog,Away From Africa. Vickie is a French designer, born in Cameroon, raised in Africa and in France.

While in France, she founded and operated a knit textile company for several years, employing 10 people, creating knit designs for such well-known brands as Georges Picaud, Anny Blatt, Pingouin, Phildar, Sonia Rykiel, Torrente, Dorothée Bis, Daniel Hechter and Issey Miyake. She created and sold jewelry in her shop located in the fashionable Marais neighborhood (Paris). 

Ten years ago, at a crossroad in her life, she decided to move to New York City to manage the Museum for African Art store, sourcing merchandise from various African countries. A few years ago, she created her own business once more, in Manhattan, and specialized in two areas: jewelry inspired by Africa, using noble materials from the continent, and artistic recycling, teaching children and adult how to re-use discarded objects and trash to create new and beautiful objects. 3438640616?profile=originalVickie Frémont's Art and Recycling program caught the attention of the Alliance Française (world-side French Cultural Association), who invited her to tour Peru for six weeks, in October 2011.

During this very fast-paced trip, Vickie taught workshops in Chiclayo, Trujillo, Piura, Arequipa, Iquitos and gave several conferences in universities and Schools of Fine Arts in Chiclayo, Arequipa and Trujillo. This trip was so successful that Vickie was once again invited to Peru in the spring of 2012, during the Month of the Environment (Festival del Medio Ambiente).

3438640578?profile=originalAgain at a fast clip, from Chiclayo to Trujillo in North Peru, Arequipa in the mountains, Iquitos in Amazonia, and Cusco right over the Machu Picchu (a world heritage site), Vickie taught workshops in each Alliance, and worked in Trujillo and in Arequipa with students from the  technical university Tecsup for a week. Using the theme: Environment and Art to Recycle as a challenge and a means towards personal development, this series of workshops with the Tecsup students resulted in a professional-level exhibition, even through the students only had one week to prepare. «Arte y Recyclaje: Manos de Creadores» was shown from June 16 to 27 in a prestigious gallery in Trujillo. The exhibit was inaugurated by Jean-Jacques Beaussou, Ambassador of France in Peru, and Paul Elie Lévy, Director of the Alliance Française in Peru. 3438640682?profile=original

Vickie received an honorary degree and a medal from the Palabra de Mujeres program, "in recognition of talent, of creativity and her contribution to Peruvian society." Amongst other noteworthy events, Vickie taught adults and children in a shopping mall in Chiclayo; the results were artistic objects made out of plastic bottles, forks, and dishes.

3438640720?profile=originalShe guided visually impaired students at the Trujillo Alliance Française, making puppets out of hangers; during one week, she worked at the Iquitos Alliance with a group of about twenty deaf young people, exploring along with them all possible ways of creating art out of recycled materials, such as cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, old posters and more. 

In Cusco, through a nonprofit, she worked with indigenous young women who lived in the forest, using the same recycled materials.3438640765?profile=original

It is noteworthy that even in shopping malls, people were enthused by Vickie's workshops. Initial skepticism, especially in a mall where people go to consume rather than to create, gave way to enthusiasm at what could be accomplished with such humble materials.

3438640786?profile=originalWe would like to congratulate the Alliance Française for this original initiative, so useful in the struggle to preserve our environment; and we sincerely hope that Vickie Frémont's art and recycling classes continue on a world tour! 

This article in French

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A la fin de 2010, j'avais écrit sur Vickie Frémont, sur ce site, ainsi que sur mon blog, Away From Africa

3438640079?profile=originalVickie est une créatrice française, née au Cameroun, élevée en Afrique et en France. En France, elle a créé et géré une unité de fabrication de textiles, ayant pour clientèle des marques et de stylistes connus tels que Georges Picaud, Anny Blatt, Pingouin, Phildar, Sonia Rykiel, Torrente, Dorothée Bis, Daniel Hechter et Issey Miyake.

Pendant ce temps, elle avait commencé à créer des bijoux. Il y a dix ans, elle prit la décision  de venir gérer le magasin du Musée d'Art Africain de New York, pour lequel elle choississait la marchandise en provenance de divers pays africains. Il y a quelques années, elle s'est re-lancée à son compte, à Manhattan, se spécialisant dans deux domaines: les bijoux, inspirés de l'Afrique, utilisant des matières nobles du continent,  et dans le recyclage artistique, apprenant aux enfants et aux adultes à re-utiliser des objets "jetés" pour créer des objets neufs, et de beaux objets de surcroît.

Le programme d’Art et de Recyclage de Vickie Frémont a attiré l'attention de l'Alliance Française  qui l’a  invitée à faire une première tournée au Pérou pendant six semaines en Octobre 2011. Pendant ce périple, réalisé au pas de course, Vickie a animé toute une série d’ateliers à Chiclayo, Trujillo,  Piura, Arequipa, Iquitos ainsi que plusieurs conférences dans les universités et Ecoles des Beaux Arts  de Chiclayo, Arequipa et Trujillo. 

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Ce voyage connut un succès tel  que Vickie a été à nouveau invitée au Pérou au  printemps 2012, dans le cadre du Mois de l’Environnement (Festival del Medio Ambiente). Malgré un  rythme effréné, de Chiclayo à Cusco en passant par Trujillo au Nord du Pérou, Arequipa dans les montagnes, Iquitos en Amazonie, et Cusco juste au-dessus du Machu Picchu (un des sites les plus célèbres du monde), Vickie a pu effectuer une série d’ateliers dans chacune  des Alliances, et travailler  à Trujillo ainsi qu’à Arequipa avec les étudiants de l’Université technique Tecsup pendant une semaine. Sur le thème : l’Environnement et l’Art pour Recycler: un défi pour tous  et un outil pour un développement personnel.

L'objectif immédiat  de cette série d’ateliers avec les étudiants de Tecsup fut de créer une exposition de qualité professionnelle bien que les étudiants n’aient disposé que d’une semaine.

3438640111?profile=original« Arte y Recyclaje : Manos de Creadores » a été présenté au public du 16 au 27 juin dans une galerie prestigieuse de Trujillo. L’exposition a été inaugurée par Messieurs Jean-Jacques Beaussou, Ambassadeur de France au Pérou, et Paul Elie Lévy,  Directeur Général de l’Alliance Française au Pérou. À cette occasion, un diplôme d’honneur a été remis à Vickie ainsi qu’une médaille dans le cadre du programme  Palabra de Mujeres "en reconnaissance des talents, de la créativité et de la contribution à la société péruvienne."

Entre autres expériences marquantes pendant ce séjour, Vickie a renouvelé des ateliers dans un mall (centre commercial) à Chiclayo avec des adultes et des enfants, avec pour résultats des créations artistiques à partir de bouteilles, couverts, et plats en plastique. Elle a  animé un atelier avec des étudiants non-voyants à  l’Alliance Française de Trujillo (création de marionnettes faites à partir de portemanteaux), et pendant une semaine, elle a travaillé à l’Alliance d’Iquitos avec un groupe d’une vingtaine de  jeunes gens sourds-muets, explorant avec eux toutes les possibilités de création avec des matériaux recyclés, des cartons, des bouteilles plastiques, de vielles affiches etc… À Cusco, elle a travaillé avec des jeunes filles indigènes arrivant de la forêt, et prises en charge par une ONG, en utilisant les mêmes matériaux à recycler.

3438640163?profile=originalIl est important de noter l’enthousiasme suscité par les ateliers de Vickie,  même dans des centres commerciaux, lieux où les gens ont beaucoup  plus  tendance à consommer qu'à re-utiliser; là plus qu’ailleurs le scepticisme du public s'est vite  transformé en plaisir de créer.

Nous félicitons d’une part l’Alliance Française pour son initiative originale, et utile pour les combats menés à travers le monde pour la préservation de notre environnement; et nous avons l'espoir que le Programme d’Art et de Recyclage de Vickie Frémont pourra continuer son périple partout dans le monde.

Diane Chehab
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Photos: Diane Chehab, Vickie Frémont

This article in English

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The business of selling personal jewelry has always been mysterious and fraught with suspicion, in my mind. So even though ethnic and costume jewelry is more my cup of tea since many years, I was loathe to take the risk of being hoodwinked. After reading this More Magazine article I decided to follow the advice given and take the risk.

 

First I went to see the "local" jewelry store and was sorely disappointed, not that it came as much of a surprise. Then I finally made an appointment with CIRCA (appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are also possible).

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After showing my ID at a midtown building, I went up to the floor CIRCA is located on, catching a glimpse of a few elegant office lobbies from the elevator, on other floors. CIRCA's waiting room was tasteful and even a little splashy--certainly not the

 neighborhood jeweler. 


The appointment was with John Bianco, a very pleasant 

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 and polite gentleman. He used the same tool to test the gold carat count as the previous jeweler, and found a similar result, but offered a far better price (almost double). In this case it's not "Buyer beware" but "Seller beware"!

 

Of course CIRCA has to make a profit somehow. Once jewelry is purchased, it is then sold to international collectors and industry professionals. Mr. Bianco's interview is as follows:

 

1) How did you get into the jewelry field? What was your career path before CIRCA?

 

I was born into the business. My father had a wholesale/retail jewelry business. That means we bought and sold jewelry to the public, and supplied other retailers and wholesalers with jewelry and diamonds. My father was adamant that my two brothers and I learn the business. I actually bought my first piece of jewelry when I was six years old. I still remember it - it was a mounting for a diamond ring.

 

2)      Please describe briefly the CIRCA business model.

CIRCA is the largest global buyer of jewelry from the public. We provide an upscale, discreet option to people who wish to sell their jewelry, diamonds and watches.

 

3)      What are your activities/duties at CIRCA?

I’m a senior CIRCA buyer, which means I meet with clients, assess and purchase their jewelry, diamonds and watches. I also help to train new buyers. It’s a rigorous training process for new buyers, because CIRCA places such an emphasis on both jewelry expertise and client service. Buyers are trained for 6-10 months before they are able to meet with a client.

 

4)      What tools do you use to appraise jewelry?

There are many tools that help us evaluate any piece of jewelry, a jeweler’s loupe being one of them; but the best tools are our eyes and our experience. Our job as CIRCA expert buyers is to determine what’s the most a piece would sell for to our global group of collectors. So, it’s not just about the intrinsic value of the metals and gemstones. It’s about the value of the item as a jewelry piece. Think of us as high-end art dealers; we understand the marketplace better than anyone else.

 

5)      Any career advice for a young person thinking of entering the jewelry industry?

Get as much education as you possibly can, not only about the industry but also exposure to the arts and history to give you a context for a particular period. From a more practical perspective, any young person entering this field should definitely take the courses offered by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), as well as Art History courses, or other related courses. It’s also a great idea to apprentice if you possibly can in the field of your choice. Nothing can replace this type of practical, hands-on training. It’s invaluable.

 

6)      In your many years of experience, is there any particular anecdote or story that sticks in your mind?

 A number of years ago, our CEO, Chris Del Gatto, and I flew to Europe to meet with a prominent family and purchase a diamond of over 50 carats. This was definitely one of the more dramatic moments of my career – not only was it a magnificent diamond, but it was also quite an adventure.

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Even if the charming Mr. Bianco was not a social media maven himself, as he confessed, CIRCA is no slouch in the marketing and social media department: I noticed the blog at http://blog.circajewels.com/, as well as a Twitter account: @CIRCA_Jewels. 

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3438632119?profile=originalVickie Frémont has been designing and creating since she was 8 years old, drawing and painting without having ever been taught. At the age of 12 she began to sew, making dolls for her little sister. She was rather shy and spent most of her time as a child alone, reading, writing or knitting, beading… Vickie was born in Cameroon, but left at an early age. With her parents, she lived in Morocco, and many years in the Ivory Coast and in France. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree, in France, and planned to teach Spanish. She also studied anthropology and economics. However, at one point she was working in the neighborhood of the Beaux Arts (fine arts) school and started studying Arts techniques, realizing that there was her calling.

She operated a knit textile company for several years, employing 10 people, creating knit designs for such well-known brands as Georges Picaud, Anny Blatt, Pingouin, Phildar, Sonia Rykiel, Torrente, Dorothée Bis, Daniel Hetcher and Issey Miyake. She created and sold jewelry in her shop located in the fashionable Marais neighborhood (Paris).

3438632274?profile=originalTen years ago, at a crossroad in her life, she made the momentous decision to move to New York City to further her dream of being engaged in art on a full-time basis. Her first position in the United States was as store manager and buyer for the Museum for African Art, which was at the time located in Soho.

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Basket made with bottle caps

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Puppets of Cameroon

 

 

Currently, she designs and makes jewelry and other items, which were also sold at the Soho Museum Store, and can be currently found at the Brooklyn Museum store. She focuses on what she loves: jewelry, bracelets, necklaces, earrings with recycled materials but also with beads, African materials, stones, brass beads etc..; sculptures, puppets, baskets that include beads, textiles, and different kinds of recycled materials such as hangers, cardboard, plastic baskets (for example, strawberry containers). She works with anything that’s easy to carry, to cut or to adjust, clean materials, such as toilet paper rolls that she uses to create dolls or jewelry. Since her position at the Museum for African Art, she has participated in many cultural programs. She participated at Beads, Body and Soul, a Yoruba-theme exhibition; the Hair exhibition; the Baoulé pottery exhibit... In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Cameroon’s independence, she created a series of puppets representing the ten main regions of Cameroon. She has been featured in the media: in Amina, the most popular African women’s magazine; in television documentaries; the well-known singer, Kaïssa, wears her jewelry.

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Amina Magazine, Cameroon edition

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Kaïssa wearing Vickie's beaded bracelet

(photo: Maciek Schejbal)

Her life philosophy is that beauty can be found everywhere. It is a challenge to give a new life to what people call trash. As an educator, she thinks that the progressive transformation of objects is like a miracle, a “re-creation”. She also notices that the activity, for many people helps to restore self-esteem, as it opens a door into the unlimited world of creativity. Her guiding emotion? “To keep a part of my childhood, and to center myself.”

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Young student with doll

Vickie provides educational programs: The Recycling Art Program. As a young girl, Vickie did not own manufactured toys, but she was happy with her own “made by myself” toys, made with all kinds of materials (stones, wooden sticks, scraps of fabric). She says: “Creating something from ‘nothing’, art from what many would consider trash, is not only a worthwhile undertaking but one that brings personal and mutual pleasure and understanding.”


The program can be adapted for primary school children, high school and college students, teachers, parents, and seniors, people working in stressful occupations. It can be considered a distraction or a recreational activity, but also as training for work with young people. It has been of particular interest to those involved in the fields of education and health.

 

Her website is http://vickiefremont.com/ and she can be reached by e-mail.

 



 

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