Hello!
My name is Alain, I am the creator of MAMUT pastels.
I used to be a photographer back when photography was more than a language, an art form. All the magic happened in a dark lab, where each final image was the unique fruit of a slow and reflective process... But technology changed it all.
I have always been interested in colours, paintings and drawings. I admire those capable of doing things with their knowledge and their own hands, using simple tools, like patience, time, and effort.
I grew up in times when artisans took a lifetime to master their craft. A time when each slight flaw was what made the art unique.
Suddenly, all that became “unnecessary.” All their knowledge was lost or replaced by technology and third quality products...
I grew up in times when artisans took a lifetime to master their craft. A time where each slight flaw was what made the art unique. Suddenly all that became “Unnecessary”. All their knowledge was lost or replaced by technology and third quality products...
The fast technological progress killed this bucolic idea and triggered a personal and identity crisis in me. That is when I started to deepen into ancient photographic techniques, such as cyanotypes, wet Collodion, etc. In the quest for the artisan essence, I found myself digging into books of the 17th and 18th centuries related to art and old trades.
Painters, Chemists, and Colour Artisans were among them. I could not stop reading, investigating and felt captivated by the craftsmanship. It is a kind of magic to create from scratch with your hands in this modern (actual) age of mass production and standardization.
One thing leads to another and by the end, we realize that life is one´s quest to grow in an awareness of one´s self-identity.
MAMUT is about making good pastels and a promise to oneself and authenticity, which comes from traditional handmade products, passion, and commitment.