Kylie Jones
Jun 15, 2023
LVMH Group X African-French artist Josèfa Njtam
A few days ago, the French luxury goods giant LVMH Group officially announced that African-French artist Josèfa Njtam has been elected as the 2023 LVMH Métiers d’Art (Excellent Craftsmanship) project resident artist.
*Note: Resident artists refers to art institutions, galleries, etc. that provide artists with opportunities to create venues and platforms and to provide them with exhibition sessions.
Josèfa Njtam (pictured below) was born in Metz, France, in 1992, graduated from the National School of Art in Bourges and the National School of Art in Paris-Cergy, studied in Amiens, France, and Dakar, Senegal, and currently lives and works in Saint-Etienne.
Currently, Josèfa Njtam is represented by the London gallery Nicoletti, and many of her artworks have been collected by prestigious private and public institutions, including FRAC Alsace, the BEI Institute in Luxembourg, and the Artothèque de Strasbourg in France.
Dedicated to incorporating the most innovative technologies, especially 3D metal printing, into artistic creations, Njtam has been widely acclaimed for its bas-relief sculptures, molecular statues, and resin and ceramic 3D sculptures, and is good at incorporating new elements that are integrated into West African and European culture and handicrafts. Like all LVMH Métiers d’Art artists in residence, Njtam has chosen not to work with a luxury brand atelier but with a team of expert artisans further upstream.
Jean Baptiste Voisin, LVMH Group Strategy Director and Chairman of LVMH Métiers d'Art, said, "From the beginning, idea was to connect artisans and artists. When artists and artisans are together, one can encourage artisans to become inventors and creators. When an artist enters a workshop, magic happens."
Above: Some of Josèfa Njtam's works displayed on his personal Instagram
The LVMH Métiers d’Art artist-in-residence program was held for the first time in 2015, and this year marks the eighth edition of the program. Generally speaking, there are about 30 people on the preliminary consideration list for the residency program. After several layers of screening, the selected artists will usually prepare in the studio for the first six months.
Starting in July, they will make a summary of their work and eventually showcase it in galleries and studios, inviting artisans to celebrate with their friends and family.
It is reported that since Njtam was selected as a candidate last year, she has started preparations for Jade Metal Parts Factory since January this year. The factory, which also has workshops in Portugal and France, is known for its excellence in the design and production of metal parts and jewelry.
Jean Baptiste Voisin adds, "What fascinates us about Josèfa is the way fuses her origins from two continents."
