Sophie Gailliot and Richard Pontais are artists, designers and Montrealers. She is leather, he is wood. Both are textures and structures. Shaped by fine craftsmanship, and bathed in Beaux-Arts and Rock culture. Their union puts new life into traditional technics with chic and finesse.

Out with the old classical furniture! Let’s revive leather marquetry, and pry it out of obscure libraries. Make way for cheerful stories and vivid colors! Here, wood essences are carefully selected, and the leathers are glowing. Richard and Sophie want their creations to be answers to melancholy, their work, a balm against the harsh outside world, in the process of making as well as in the creations themselves. The patterns are rhythmic, the compositions expressive. Mazes are enlightened, and assemblages are perceptive. This world is smooth and soft, like their work to the touch. Blue becomes a warm color, and lines are aligning. All this and more can be found in their bespoke works of art. Colors brought from around the world, organic shapes that look as clumsy and fragile as framed insects and articulated objects, strong totem-like structures that defy gravity. Each piece is a story to tell, a peaceful and soothing interior.

Richard discovers, and dreams. He keeps experimenting with the material, revealing curves and lines. Sophie imagines and draws, she colors and cuts. With her leather, she snuggles around the shapes he sculpts. When she dreams a bit far from reality, he structures and supports the project so that it keeps flying. When he drifts away to explore new difficulties, it is with the confidence that she will meet him along the way. Like guitars regularly tuned in. Complementary in their making as in their being. One of a kind pieces in search of character, reflected in their art.

From Montreal to New York, and Toronto, the work of Sophie Gaillot and Richard Pontais is represented and supported by numerous events and organizations. They also received the Prix François Houdé 2023, awarded by the city of Montreal and the Conseil des métiers d’art du Québec, rewarding excellency in Fine Crafts. See more.

Ethical commitment