Michael Pohu

Born in 1970, this self-taught designer is infatuated with metal. Very early on thanks to his father, who was a milling machine operator, Michael Pohu discovered the pleasure of manipulating steel, and the ingenuous transformation that can be wrought on this material which is much more malleable in réality than it seems at first sight.

By folding, deforming, soldering, turning and milling iron and brass, he discovered his style. More attracted by the muted patinas of iron that it dresses up formally, only on rare occasions does Michael Pohu allow himself to succomb to the temptation of shiny stainless stell. Often his sketches are arachnoid flourishing with memories of science fiction. Then he takes on the execution of a piece in full struggle against the metal, letting himself be guided by the treatments that he can make it endure.

Finally, Michael Pohu often engraves elegant designs with acid, attacking the métal like so many counterpoints against the force of his preferred material – steel in all it’s forms. Behind his pieces hides the captain Nemo of design.