Djivan Schapira: Au Bout Du Bois
Presented by High Line Nine Galleries
Djivan Schapira is a French-born artist and maker of collectible design based in Union City, New Jersey. His works, dubbed retro-contemporary, draw inspiration from growing up in the forest of the French countryside, his love for the space-race era, and experiences one can only gain from growing up in New York City. Djivan’s creative and technical abilities are in his DNA: the son of a master craftsman, Djivan developed his practice working for a decade as an apprentice under his father.
After graduating from the Architecture program at Parsons School of Design, Djivan launched ABDB Designs, an atelier producing made-to-order furniture & interior décor for residential & commercial spaces. ABDB was founded on the technique of embedding cross-cuts of recycled wood in resin. This curiosity for resin was sparked by a piece his father made in 1987, La Commode –the first work created using this technique. His research & development throughout college eventually evolved his father’s technique to be both customizable and scalable, for which he secured a utility patent in 2021.
Since launching ABDB in 2018, Djivan has collaborated with designers from around the world on hospitality, restaurant, and residential projects. When the pandemic struck in 2020 and all projects came to a halt, he began to focus on his own personal line of functional artwork. While continuing to examine the delicacies of nature not always realized, the present body of work is an elevation in both form and material.
Djivan has been featured in internationally renowned publications including Modern Luxury, Surface Magazine, and Owners: a French magazine exclusively for Aston Martin owners, in addition to winning an A’ Design Award for his Andromeda Cocktail Table in 2019.
Flux de Tulipes | $32,000
Dining Table (10-12) | Large pinecone embedded ‘tulip petals’ drift in the wind alongside inlaid bronze wire, flowing through the greater body they once belonged to.
Recycled natural pinecones, resin, bronze wire inlay, wood, high gloss epoxy finish
112” L x 48” W x 30.5” H
Lahar | $22,000
Mirror | Thuya Burlwood, resin, Starfire mirror, high gloss epoxy finish
72” L x 38” W x 2” D
Nénuphar | $18,000
Center Table | Large pinecones embedded in yellow flowers rest atop the Water Lily, as bronze inlays flow through its green leaves down to the rhizomes below, keeping its life afloat.
Recycled natural pinecones, resin, bronze wire inlay, wood, high gloss epoxy finish
53” L x 42” W x 13.5” H
Atlas | $3,500
Wall Hanging | Fruit wood end grain, resin, high gloss epoxy finish
30” D
“Au bout du bois” in French translates directly to “at the end of the grain” or “at the end of the woods”. Living in the French Countryside during my early childhood, I was always fascinated by the delicate details of nature. Each piece is a limited edition, as the noble natural elements within the work encapsulate a moment in time, forever defined by the unique patterns they reveal.
Hellas | $24,000
Center Table | Thuya Burl Wood, bronze wire, resin, high gloss epoxy finish.
53” L x 42” W x 13.5” H
Cinéraire | $14,000
Design Object | Mini-pinecones are found embedded in the tall growth structure, as resin bees land on each bronze supported flower, exhibiting the flower’s depth within the natural life-cycle.
Recycled natural miniature pinecones, resin, bronze stem, high gloss epoxy finish
103” L x 11 “ W
La Commode | $24,000
Commode | Various fruit woods, white cedar, Argentinian hair on hide, leather, stainless steel, slate.
61” W x 22” D x 37” H
Æther | $12,000
Wall Panel | Resin, embedded cross-cuts of recycled end grain evolving from a single tree branch, high gloss epoxy finish
82” L x 48 “ W x 2” H
Auréole | $8,000
Lamp | The Edison bulb displays the power of light while highlighting how a component of such importance can be underappreciated. The lampshade, typically concealing the bulb, is now seen as a bronze and burlwood-wrapped backdrop, whose embedded pinecone flowers capture the bulb in perfect symmetry.
Recycled natural pinecones, resin, brass wire inlay, bronze frame, bronze neck, Thuya burl wood, high gloss finish
26” L x 13.75 “ W x 10.5" D
Ménage à Trois | $3,200
Skate Deck | Combining elements of pop-art and high-end furniture, this burlwood-wrapped skateboard featuring pinecones inlaid in resin, plays on the irony of the unexpected friendship between street & luxury existing in our world today.
Recycled natural pinecones, resin, Thuya burl wood, high gloss finish, velvet, bronze accents.
31.5” L x 8” W
Porcini | $18,000
Console/Breakfast Table | Thuya burl wood, resin, bronze wire, 24k gold, high gloss finish.
44” L x 30” W x 30” H