PAD Paris: new design galleries to discover

Maison Intègre: Burkinabé Craftsmanship in the Spotlight at PAD Paris

Year after year, PAD has welcomed galleries that champion artists from across the globe. While Western Europe (France, the UK, Italy) and the United States still dominate the selection at this international art and design fair, one continent enjoys a particularly rare visibility at this 27th edition in Paris: Africa, thanks to Maison Intègre’s debut appearance a gallery based between Paris and Ouagadougou.

Since 2017, its founder Ambre Jarno has made it her mission to highlight Burkina Faso’s artisanal heritage by producing furniture and objects using an age-old local technique: lost-wax bronze casting. She regularly invites designers to develop collections that are then crafted by local artisans using recycled metals and natural materials. Today, Maison Intègre employs around fifteen Burkinabé workers on site and even established its own foundry three years ago to centralize and streamline production. A key part of its philosophy is also a deep dialogue with West African culture and the celebration of its heritage. Designers collaborating with the gallery are encouraged to stay in Burkina Faso and draw inspiration from the region’s architecture and everyday objects.

At PAD Paris, Maison Intègre is presenting a selection of standout pieces, including its striking “Y Lamp” by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance. This approximately 1.75-meter-tall lamp, shaped like a forked dowsing rod, was inspired by traditional one-piece wooden ladders used by several Malian communities. Another highlight is the small “Écho” lamp by Brendan Ravenhill, which also explores the visual potential of bronze. From a distance, the bulb’s glow on the lamp’s concave golden surface evokes a flickering flame.

Sarah Myerscough: A leading name in London design

This 27th edition of PAD Paris also marks the arrival of a gallery already familiar from the fair’s London programming: Sarah Myerscough. The gallery has won the coveted Contemporary Design Prize twice (in 2019 and 2023), as well as the Best Stand Award in 2019—thanks in part to the craftsmanship of woodwork virtuosos like John Makepeace, Nic Webb, and Ernst Gamperl. Since its founding in 1998, the gallery has been committed to showcasing innovative approaches to material use, through the work of its thirty or so artists and designers.

This includes the surprising vases made of compressed cardboard and clay by Luke Fuller, sculptures by Mayumi Onagi created using the traditional Japanese urushi lacquer technique, lamps by Ori Orisun Merhav that combine blown glass and 3D printing, and the striking “Black Sheep Cocoon Cabinet” by Marlène Huissoud. For this piece, the French designer attached hundreds of silkworm cocoons to oak wood using honey resin. These uniquely textured creations are sure to intrigue visitors.

Unno Gallery: focus on the young Latin American scene

Among the newcomers this year, Mexico City–based Unno Gallery brings a welcome spotlight to the other side of the Atlantic. Defining itself more as a “platform” than a traditional gallery, Unno has, for the past six years, championed young Latin American designers, fostering a creative community and celebrating a shared heritage that transcends borders. Two promising talents will be featured at its stall.

First, Mexican designer C. S. Nuñez, whose decorative objets echoing ancient forms first caught the eyes of Unno’s founders several years ago. Also showcased is Colombian designer Andrea Vargas Dieppa, acclaimed for her ability to reinterpret her country’s artisanal heritage through a fresh, contemporary lens. A prime example is her “Time Further” collection of octagonal mirrors, each distinguished by its unique frame. Whether made of wood, horn, or shell fragments, these frames are crafted by artisans employing centuries-old local techniques. “Each of Andrea’s pieces tells a story,” the gallerists explain. “They speak to us of nature, craft, and the invisible ties between past and present.”

Mono, an eco-responsible publishing house

Another standout newcomer to the fair is Mono, a Paris-based design publisher. From its launch in 2022, Mono’s guiding principle was clear: “One collection, one material, one architect.” Season after season, founder Laetitia Ventura invites a new architect or collective to create a series of pieces using a single chosen material, following a sustainable, zero-waste approach. Their latest collection, unveiled last September and designed by Corpus Studio, is made entirely from plane tree wood—showcasing the material’s beauty and versatility across chairs, desks, coffee tables, and lamps of various heights. At PAD Paris, Mono Editions will share a stand with Victoria Poniatowski Design, a gallery known for its refined taste in decorative arts and its rich online catalog.

PAD Paris, from 2 to 6 April at the Tuileries Gardens, Paris I.