{"id":5624,"date":"2017-01-10T14:33:29","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T14:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.asart.fr\/asart\/histoire\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T11:33:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T10:33:12","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.asart.fr\/en\/asart\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_height=”yes” columns_placement=”stretch” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” columns_height=”adjust_cols_height” background_style=”normal”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1597994583945{background-image: url(https:\/\/www.asart.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DSC_4301_DXO-scaled.jpg?id=7475) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-6″][vc_empty_space height=”350px”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1593162564506{padding-top: 100px !important;padding-right: 10% !important;padding-bottom: 150px !important;padding-left: 10% !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-6″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

History<\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

A journey of design and craft<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]The story of AS\u2019ART<\/strong> is, above all, a story of encounters \u2014 human, cultural, and aesthetic.
It is that of a French engineer, Jean-Paul Merlin<\/strong>, 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.[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator el_width=”40″][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1443414812412{margin-top: 45px !important;margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Origins<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The story of AS\u2019ART is, above all, a story of encounters \u2014 human, cultural, and aesthetic.
It is that of a French engineer, Jean-Paul Merlin<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n

\n

The Birth of a Calling<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When he returned in 1991, one certainty emerged: he no longer wanted only to be<\/em>, but to create<\/em>.
Fascinated by objects and materials, aware of the gradual disappearance of many traditional crafts, he founded AS\u2019ART<\/strong> \u2014 a brand devoted to the beauty of the gesture and the power of craftsmanship.
From the very beginning, AS\u2019ART sought to reveal African craftsmanship \u2014 still little known at the time \u2014 and to give it a rightful place within contemporary design.<\/p>\n

\n

A Vision of the Hand<\/strong><\/h3>\n

AS\u2019ART 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 \u2014 particularly the emblematic Kisii stone collections<\/strong> from Kenya \u2014 embody the brand\u2019s signature aesthetic.
Each piece reflects a profound respect for the artisan\u2019s hand and a conviction: within the handmade lies both the intelligence and the beauty of the world.<\/p>\n

\n

A Lasting Home<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After more than twenty years in Paris\u2019s Passage du Grand Cerf<\/strong>, AS\u2019ART relocated in 2019 to a 16th-century former flour mill in the Pays de Valois<\/strong>, south of the Compi\u00e8gne forest.
This singular space, both industrious and poetic, has been reimagined as a place of inspiration dedicated to design professionals \u2014 a showroom, a workspace, and a living environment.
It is here that the story of AS\u2019ART continues to unfold \u2014 guided by craftsmanship, emotion, and a deep passion for the handmade.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_height=”yes” columns_placement=”stretch” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” columns_height=”adjust_cols_height” background_style=”normal”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1597994583945{background-image: url(https:\/\/www.asart.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DSC_4301_DXO-scaled.jpg?id=7475) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-6″][vc_empty_space height=”350px”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1593162564506{padding-top: 100px !important;padding-right: 10% !important;padding-bottom: 150px !important;padding-left: 10% !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-6″][vc_column_text] History [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””] A journey of design and craft [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]The story of AS\u2019ART is, above all, a story of encounters \u2014 human, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":241,"featured_media":0,"parent":5616,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5624","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nHistory - AS'ART - A sense of craft<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explorateur et cr\u00e9ateur d'artisanat africain haut de gamme et durable. 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