YMER&MALTA : In Conversation with Gary Tinterow

YMER&MALTA : In Conversation with Gary Tinterow

On April 11th 2025, the French-American Cultural Foundation in Houston, Texas, welcomed two distinguished ambassadors of French craftsmanship: Valérie Maltaverne, director of the YMER&MALTA studio, and Olivier Gabet, General Heritage Curator and Director of the Department of Decorative Arts at the Musée du Louvre. Gary Tinterow, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, extended the honor of hosting them. 

Text by Marielle Brie de Lagerac

The two eminent art historians, Olivier Gabet and Gary Tinterow, both curators at world-renowned institutions and specialists in French decorative arts, engaged in a thoughtful discussion, before an audience of refined connoisseurs, on the specific questions of savoir-faire and innovation in the field of exceptional craftsmanship. Alongside them, Valérie Maltaverne represented contemporary French design in furniture and objets d’art.

Valérie Maltaverne invitée par Gary Tinterow à Houston, Texas

Exceptional Craftsmanship: A French Renaissance

Disrupted in the 19th century by the industrial wave, French artisanal crafts managed to survive—albeit with difficulty—as serial production, easily machinable materials, and a preference for functionality often stripped of expressive form came to dominate the creative landscape. At the dawn of the 21st century, Valérie Maltaverne was among the first designers to commit wholeheartedly to a path honouring the legacy of France’s great artisanal traditions. Her work, recognised by prestigious institutions in France and abroad, has earned the admiration of curators and craftspeople alike, as it skillfully avoids certain pitfalls that Olivier Gabet made a point of highlighting during this symposium in Houston:
 
“At the moment, there is a true revival of craftsmanship in France, but the creations are too often disappointing for the simple reason that it is very difficult to reconcile technical constraints with the demands of design. Many talented artisans often lack mastery of aesthetics—of what gives a piece its power and magnetism. »
 
A meticulous study of each technique, a deep sensitivity to the intrinsic nature of materials, to their use and their plasticity, constitutes the initial phase of the work undertaken by the director of YMER&MALTA. In close collaboration with artisans—through their experience and the perfection of gestures honed over time—Valérie Maltaverne captures the essence of a craft in order to project its future potential. Her extensive knowledge of the decorative arts, combined with a rich artistic culture spanning graphic arts, cinema, and architecture, enables her to lead artisans into creative territories they might never have dared to explore alone. Through experimentation, perseverance, and unwavering conviction, her studio is gradually restoring the prestige of techniques once regarded solely through the lens of the past.
 
“When her marquetry collection was unveiled, it was immediately clear that each piece drew on a profound culture of the decorative arts and could not be compared to any historical or contemporary work. Valérie’s creations possess that rare alchemy which defines true works of art.“


— Olivier Gabet 
PIECES IN SITU CABINET CLOUDINCHEST MARQUETRY 16 WOOD TYPES DINNING TABLE INMYSKIN MARQUETRY WITH 11 TYPES OF NATURAL WOOD CENTERPIECE ANNEAU WHITE MARBLE FROM CARRARA TABLE LAMP TENELLUS BASE IN ANODISED METAL STEEL MESH PAPER
Sleeping Beauty : Marquetery Revisited by Valérie Maltaverne

A Singular Signature

The YMER&MALTA aesthetic is instantly recognizable. Like all major styles that have left a mark on the history of the decorative arts, it draws inspiration from nature and its expressions—but it also carries something entirely new: a poetic language that defines the studio’s unique signature.

“In Valérie Maltaverne’s pieces, one sees the use of wood, natural materials, the idea of nature—its forms, its irregularities—which she elevates to the status of art. Elements of her artistic language may be discernible in the work of others, but the way in which she brings them together is entirely, distinctively, her own. »


— Gary Tinterow

Valérie Maltaverne thus reconnects with the luxury of serene and tranquil beauty. In contrast to a contemporary aesthetic often marked by monochrome minimalism, rigidity, and sterility, the collections of the YMER&MALTA studio embody a modern longing for discreet, elegant, and comforting opulence. Her work orchestrates a form of poetry, uniting shapes and materials without renouncing the essential and life-affirming bond with nature. As Olivier Gabet concludes:

“What I admire and truly appreciate in Valérie is that she believes in what she does. She lives with her creations—she lives them day to day. She naturally hosts dinner on the marquetry table she created. That’s what’s so wonderful about her creations: they feel utterly self-evident.” 

PIECES IN SITU COFFEE TABLE BLACK SNAKE BLUES MARQUETRY OD DUED PEAR TREE WOOD WHITE EBONY MATT LACQUERED STEEL SEATING VICTORY CALFSKIN FLOOR LAMP BELLE DE JOUR RESIN LINEN METAL BATTERY CHARGED LAMP BELLE DE NUIT CERAMIC FLOOR LAMP EDALIGHT PAPER METAL CONCRETE
Valérie Maltaverne's Collections at Home - À Fleur de Peau : Leather / Marbre Poids Plume / Sleeping Beauty : Marquetery Revisited /Akari Unfolded