The exhibition “De Mains De Maîtres,” launched in December 2016 by Their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke and the Hereditary Grand Duchess, highlighted the exceptional craftsmanship of Luxembourg’s designers and artisans.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of art objects during this exhibition, which attracted 10,000 visitors, was allocated to support the country’s artisans and artists who wished to train or refine their skills through the awarding of a grant.
About ten applications—each as interesting as they were diverse, both in the nature of their requests and in the skills and materials involved—were submitted to the association De Mains De Maîtres Luxembourg.
Although the decision by the jury—composed of members of the association’s board of directors, namely Her Royal Highness Princess Stéphanie, Mr. Roland Kuhn, Ms. Françoise Thoma, CEO of BCEE, and Mr. Tom Wirion, Director General of the Chamber of Trades, assisted by Mr. Jean-Marc Dimanche, curator of the De Mains De Maîtres exhibition—was difficult, Ms. Sarah Meyers ultimately won their full and unanimous support.
The first scholarship award ceremony took place on January 17, 2018 at the Chamber of Crafts in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess.
The artist Sarah Meyers
Duotone vases by Sarah Meyers
Known for her passion and research on color, Sarah Meyers proposed a project that builds on the work she began during her Master of Art & Design program at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, focusing on bone ash porcelain and its coloring techniques.
To this end, she chose to participate in a workshop dedicated to ceramics and color in the Chinese porcelain capital, Jingdezhen, as part of an international exchange program supported by UNESCO.
A wonderful way to venture beyond our borders to acquire unique expertise, which complements and refines the already established work of this very young designer, and is also the best way to enrich our local crafts in return.
The quality and relevance of this project are a source of pride for the Mains De Maîtres association, reinforcing its commitment to awarding grants to artisans and artists to continually advance the excellence of the arts and crafts within the Grand Duchy itself.