History

Origins

The story of AS’ART is, above all, a story of encounters — human, cultural, and aesthetic.
It is that of a French engineer, Jean-Paul Merlin, driven by a search for meaning, engagement, and discovery.
Guided by a passion for travel and human connection, he left a predictable technical career to embark on a journey around the world.
That transformative voyage, marked by faces, gestures, and cultures, forever changed his way of seeing the world.

The Birth of a Calling

When he returned in 1991, one certainty emerged: he no longer wanted only to be, but to create.
Fascinated by objects and materials, aware of the gradual disappearance of many traditional crafts, he founded AS’ART — a brand devoted to the beauty of the gesture and the power of craftsmanship.
From the very beginning, AS’ART sought to reveal African craftsmanship — still little known at the time — and to give it a rightful place within contemporary design.

A Vision of the Hand

AS’ART stands as a bridge between cultures, a dialogue between tradition and modernity.
Jean-Paul Merlin designs objects that combine pure lines, raw materials, and timeless elegance.
His creations — particularly the emblematic Kisii stone collections from Kenya — embody the brand’s signature aesthetic.
Each piece reflects a profound respect for the artisan’s hand and a conviction: within the handmade lies both the intelligence and the beauty of the world.

A Lasting Home

After more than twenty years in Paris’s Passage du Grand Cerf, AS’ART relocated in 2019 to a 16th-century former flour mill in the Pays de Valois, south of the Compiègne forest.
This singular space, both industrious and poetic, has been reimagined as a place of inspiration dedicated to design professionals — a showroom, a workspace, and a living environment.
It is here that the story of AS’ART continues to unfold — guided by craftsmanship, emotion, and a deep passion for the handmade.