Galerie CO presents: Maude Eloïse Bouchard Furness and Atelier Hoch

A Montreal designer brings heart to contemporary furniture creation
Vernissage: Saturday, May 26, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Montreal – Galerie CO is delighted to host a vernissage launching the inaugural furniture collections of a remarkable young Montreal design talent, Maude Eloïse Bouchard Furness. Please join us on Saturday, May 26 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Galerie CO, 5235 Blvd. St. Laurent, Montreal for a chance to meet the designer and learn more about her unique vision for modern Quebec-inspired creation. Light Quebec-themed refreshments will be served. The show will run until June 2, 2012.

Taking her inspiration from her home province, Maude creates contemporary pieces that embody the spirit and cultural heritage of Quebec while expressing a fresh and distinctive aesthetic. Created using entirely ecologically-friendly methods, designs are informed by a deeply held belief in the value of craftsmanship and artisanal expertise to create furniture of enduring charm and use. Atelier Hoch was conceived from a desire to create pieces to which the owner feels a personal sense of attachment.

As Maude herself puts it,
“When we love something and feel a connection to it, then we hold on to it. We keep it in our homes and cherish it because we know someone put thought and care into producing it.”
Maude brings to her love of design a clear passion for Quebec that is expressed through her choice of materials – all of which are sourced and/or produced locally. Atelier Hoch (short for Hochelaga, reflecting the Montreal-centric philosophy of the studio) was born of Maude’s desire to express her cultural pride and inspiration and to contribute to the burgeoning Quebec-based design market. “I see furniture from Italy, from France, but where is our furniture, the furniture that comes from chez nous!” she explains.

After suffering a severe leg injury in 2010, Maude was forced to take some time off from her job as Artistic Director/Jack of All Trades with a video production company. The time allowed her to reflect on her future and to ask herself what she really wanted to do with her life. The answer came when she realized that she wanted to create quality furniture, produced locally in a sustainable way. After taking an introductory course on entrepreneurship Maude opened Atelier Hoch and the results are two “mini series” as she calls them, of superbly crafted armchairs, each one numbered and signed, and each one destined to become an heirloom piece.
The simple, clean lines of the Boréal collection are accentuated with gorgeous, whimsical colour creating a wonderful tension between the playful and the prim. In the Yamaska collection, crisp, bold form marries function in a chair that is as comfortable as it is eye-catching.
Maude Eloïse Bouchard Furness will be on site at the vernissage on Saturday, May 26 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will say a few words about the two collections at 6:30 p.m.

Galerie CO is Montreal’s unique destination for stunning, sustainable design from around the world and around the corner.

Galerie CO is delighted to offer SIDIM participants a 10% discount for the duration of the salon.