Behind the scenes at Majuno
Mohamed Chabarik is a mosaic craftsman who has put his passion for drawing at the service of his art. He has embraced the millenary traditions of mosaic to create luminous, captivating contemporary pieces. His table is inspired by the different hours of the day, from the deep blue of the night to the bright yellow of the sun.
Born in Syria 45 years ago, Mohamed Chabarik left his homeland to learn the art of mosaic at the prestigious Spilimbergo school in Italy. This temple of mosaic art located in the Friuli region is at the crossroads of Roman and early Christian traditions, as well as Byzantine heritage from Venice.
Why did you choose to learn the art of mosaics ?
I've always been passionate about drawing and I love working with my hands. I was meant to do mosaic work. Also, my home country, Syria, was once part of the Roman Empire. Mosaics dating back 1600 years have recently been found there. My path was clear.
On a more serious note, I've found in this art form a means of expression that suits me more than any other.
Can you do everything with mosaic ?
Of course, from sacred art to objects of pure art, including jewelry or contemporary furniture, everything is possible. We constantly move from one to the other, my wife Laura and I, in our workshop in Udine in Friuli.
We create our own molds, which gives us immense freedom when it comes to shapes, for example. Anything you can imagine, you can create with mosaics. And you can even sneak in some gold leaf to give your creations a special sparkle.
In creating a table for Majuno, how did the idea come about ?
We were particularly enthusiastic about the research work for this table. We had a lot of fun choosing the colors, which we wanted to be vibrant and luminous. This round table gives off a sense of warmth, but also cold... at the same time.