‘Monsieur Poiré’ by Ian Wright and Caran d’Ache

last updated 20 September 2022

Our pairing of the British artist Ian Wright with the Swiss pencilmaker Caran d'Ache for Wallpaper* Handmade 2014 couldn't have yielded more inspiring results (watch them unfold in this Sony 4K film). Moved by the precision and intricate processes that Caran d'Ache employs even when making the humble pencil, Wright set out to represent the company in a whole new way. He honed in on Emmanuel Poiré, a leading 19th-century French cartoonist who went by the pseudonym Caran d'Ache and after whom the company was named (Caran d'Ache stems from the Russian word for pencil). Wright decided to recreate Poiré's likeness in pencils. Despite his love for colours, Wright felt a need to pull back and limit himself to just a few colours. The pencils are held in place by resin bases that are used during the pencil manufacturing process as a reference to the whole journey.

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.