Text Dzenana Mujadzic
With their design studio EBUR, founded in 2020, Racha Gutierrez and Dahlia Hojeij Deleuze reflect on their creative identity. Growing up in Côte d’Ivoire, their multicultural roots and Parisian education come together to create a multi-faceted style that combines French artistry with oriental craftsmanship, becoming an expression of their cultural journey and very personal design vision.
Chapter The name of your studio, EBUR, means ivory in Latin. Why did you choose this name?
EBUR We both grew up in Côte d’Ivoire and produced our first pieces there. Some of our work is undeniably influenced by them, in terms of shapes, symbols, materials… It was a way for us to pay tribute to the country of our births.
Le Cabanon, 2022
Private residence
Assinie, Côte d’Ivoire
Chapter How do different cultural influences and different eras shape the unique objects and spaces you create at EBUR, and what role does your personal background play in this?
EBUR Growing up in different places, having a multicultural background between the Middle East, West Africa, and Europe, all this mixed with our studies in architecture school in Paris, where we have lived for a long time now, has very organically created our style. EBUR’s DNA also includes many influences from French Decorative Arts, a pronounced taste for the Venetian style of the 17th and 18th centuries, and for Oriental craftsmanship in general… This background also influences the way we work, meaning we are always trying to stay open to new discoveries to bring to our projects and travel in every sense of the word.
Marinella Apartment, 2023
Private residence
Nice, France
Chapter What significance does craftsmanship hold for your overall approach?
EBUR From the beginning, we decided to work with specialized craftsmen, often family-run, taking care to select workshops according to their specialties. We have favored artisanal production over industrial production, accepting the limits of our collaborators and adapting to their way of working and their savoir-faire. We design and do lots of research for the pieces in our collections, but the dialog with the craftsmen is also essential for all our creations.
Marinella Aparment, 2023
Private residence
Nice, France
Chapter Working together as a team, in which areas of collaboration do your individual approaches and tastes come to the fore the most?
EBUR Fortunately, we have a mutual love of materials and ornament, which is always apparent in each project, blending French savoir-faire with Oriental influences and always being on the lookout for new references. Through these blends, we both aim to enrich our creations, giving them a singular dimension. We prefer natural materials, which bring warmth and authenticity to each project, and we also like to play with textures, such as velvet and taffeta, which are at the heart of our shared aesthetic.
FIRST PUBLISHED IN CHAPTER №XI »TASTEMAKERS« — WINTER 2024/25
