Marie & Alexandre

Marie Cornil and Alexandre Willaume met in 2018 while participating in Design Parade 13 at Villa Noailles in Hyères. With a similar background and a shared approach to design, the duo formed a collaboration. Marie Cornil studied at HEAD-Geneva, where she graduated with a BA in visual arts. She completed her bachelor’s degree in industrial design at ECAL/University of Art and Design in Lausanne, where she graduated in 2018. Alexandre Willaume studied industrial design at ENSCI, les ateliers, before completing a university exchange at the California College of Art, San Francisco.

Since their collaboration began, Marie and Alexandre have gained recognition worldwide through their innovative designs. They have been awarded notable accolades, including being shortlisted for the Grand Prix at de la Ville de Paris, as well as winning the IKEA Foundation grant. In 2022, they were invited to present their lighting collection at their first solo show, Horizon. This collection is now produced by the French Lighting brand Petite Friture.

“Marie and Alexandre explore, excavate, research, and celebrate the multiple layers of certain situated crafts, in order to imagine landscapes and offer multiple perspectives on the materials and objects that surround us.” - Alexandre Willaume