HOMO FABER FELLOWSHIP

The Homo Faber Fellowship is an educational programme created by the Michelangelo Foundation, in partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre. The seven-month fellowship supports the further development of newly trained artisans, helping them to build successful futures in the craft professions. Designed for duos of master artisans and young talents, the fellowship incorporates a six-month sponsored placement in the workshop of a Master, and a month-long entrepreneurial and creative Masterclass certified by the renowned ESSEC Business School. The first edition of the fellowship is taking place in five European countries, in conjunction with local members of the Michelangelo Foundation network. 

The Michelangelo Foundation for creativity and craftsmanship is a non-profit institution based in Geneva, established with the aim of promoting a more human, inclusive and sustainable future. The Foundation seeks to highlight the connections between craft, the wider arts and the design world. Its mission is to celebrate and preserve craftsmanship and its diversity of makers, materials and techniques, by increasing its recognition and promoting its viability as a professional path for the next generations. From the educational programme, the Homo Faber Fellowship, to its signature digital project, the Homo Faber Guide, and international exhibition, the Homo Faber Event, the Foundation is fostering a cultural movement centred on master artisans and rising stars.

The Homo Faber Fellowship aligns perfectly with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s values, which are rooted in a long history of facilitating the sharing of knowledge between master and trainee.

For more than 30 years, the Maison has run dedicated programmes for apprentices and, in 2021, inaugurated a new training centre dedicated to training young talents in watchmaking and related occupations. The partnership with Homo Faber Fellowship builds on this tradition and marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration with the Michelangelo Foundation, which shares our vision for the future of craftsmanship. 

For the inaugural edition of Homo Faber Fellowship a jury was appointed by Michelangelo Foundation to select 20 duos of master artisans, in five European countries and international fellows. The chosen Master artisans have close ties to their local territory and a strong need and desire to pass on their craft know-how. The fellows chosen by the jury are drawn from diverse creative backgrounds and demonstrate high motivation and eagerness to acquire new skills.

More than a dozen crafts are represented in the first edition of the programme, including textile creation, stone sculpture, feather-work and marquetry. The first cycle of the programme begins in September 2023, with a month-long creative and entrepreneurial masterclass at the atelier of the artist Joana Vasconcelos in Lisbon. Each of the 20 masters will then welcome their fellow to their own workshops for a six-month sponsored placement.

As part of the first edition of the Homo Faber Fellowship, each master-fellow duo collaborated to create an original object using a variety of materials, techniques and skills. 

The large-scale dome, designed and handcrafted by master Basketweaver Isabel Martins and fellow Alba invites viewers to connect with the natural cycles that govern life. 

The dome is made from a local Portuguese plant, bracejo, which is woven using the spiral technique.

From his Athens workshop, master ceramicist Giannis Zois collaborated with fellow Shokhruh to create a monumental totem. 

Creating using porcelain and African masonry, the totem is decorated with repeating hand painting illustrations of flora and fauna in 22 carat gold, inspired by Uzbek motifs.