Vacheron Constantin, in partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York, has announced the Artisan Residency programme.
Designed to support craft skills, encourage the evolution of traditional savoir-faire into new forms of expression and nurture the next generation of artisans, the Artisan Residency programme underlines both institutions’ longstanding commitment to supporting art and culture.
Three artisans have been chosen for the inaugural 18-month residency, which recognises practitioners who are committed to preserving traditional crafts through their exploration of artistic techniques and practices that are relevant today. As a part of their residency, the three artisans will travel to New York to engage with The Met collection, staff, and will also spend time in Geneva, Switzerland, learning about the artistic processes and practices of Vacheron Constantin’s master artisans. The programme will culminate in October 2026, when the artisans will return to New York to present their work at The Met.
Emphasizing the cross-cultural reach of the programme, applications were invited from artisans worldwide who specialise in traditional crafts, demonstrating technical virtuosity, artistic sensibility and an innovative approach to their craft. These applications were assessed by a jury composed of curators, art administrators, educators, artisans, and artists. After three rounds of assessment, three finalists were chosen based on the quality of their proposals, artistic merit and commitment to not only preserving but also advancing a traditional craft technique to create objects of exceptional aesthetic and technical value.
The three finalists are Aspen Golann (b. USA), Furniture maker; Ibrahim Said (b. Egypt), Ceramicist; and Joy Harvey (b. Italy), Jeweller.
Aspen Golann: US-born Aspen Golann blends contemporary art with classic American furniture forms to make subtle statements about power dynamics in the world of craft. Having trained in traditional woodworking crafts of the 17th–19th century, she manipulates iconic American furniture forms to create contemporary pieces that both critique and celebrate the history of American decorative arts. Founder of The Chairmaker’s Toolbox – a project fostering access and equity in the field of chairmaking – Golann channels her passion for sharing knowledge into teaching furniture design at The Rhode Island School of Design and leading craft workshops internationally.
Ibrahim Said: Recognised for his technical ability, creativity and innovation, ceramic artist Ibrahim Said comes from a family of potters in Fustat, the area of Cairo renowned for ceramics since the Islamic conquest in the 7th century AD. His first teacher – from the age of six – was his father, and Egypt’s rich cultural heritage became his second teacher. Said’s signature work embodies a lightness and delicacy balanced by the strong lines and bold shapes that distinguished ancient Egyptian ceramics. He pushes the limits of clay, through both structural technique and surface adornment, to create pieces that celebrate his cultural heritage while advancing it towards new horizons.
Joy Harvey: Joy Harvey’s artistic path, which led her from training in pure chemistry to the craft that she practises today, has a deep influence on her jewellery work. Born in Italy, where she lives and works, Harvey’s dedication to craftsmanship is rooted in a blend of traditional Florentine goldsmithing and Armenian techniques, merging ancient methods with modern innovations. For Harvey, beauty is not an absolute concept but is shaped by individual experience, culture and biology. Each piece that she creates serves as a platform for exploring deeper emotional and philosophical themes, blending her vision of imperfection and growth with reflections on the complexities of ageing.
The Artisan Residency programme is the latest initiative in the long-term partnership, established in 2023, between the Maison and The Met. Founded on both institutions’ deep commitment to the safeguarding and perpetuation of cultural and artistic savoir-faire, the partnership will manifest itself in a variety of initiatives over time.
Among these initiatives, the ‘Masterpiece on your Wrist’ programme offers watch collectors the opportunity to collaborate with Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers workshop in creating a single-piece edition watch with a dial featuring an enamel reproduction of a masterpiece from The Met’s collection. The presence of an in-house Métiers d’Art workshop at Vacheron Constantin is further evidence of the Maison’s commitment to supporting art and culture, by preserving rare and historic decorative crafts, encouraging their evolution in new directions and passing the legacy down through the generations.
For more information please visit Vacheron Constantin