Benjamin Moncarey

Benjamin Moncarey trained at the École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre (ENSAV). He contributed to Poppositions Art Fair, founded the circular cabinet-making workshop Walden Project in 2015, then co-founded SONIAN in 2020 to integrate wood from the Forêt de Soignes into contemporary design. This resource is at the heart of his work, combining tradition and innovative vision.

For the SONIAN studio, he developed the Vernaculaire collection, which revisits simple decorative shapes with a familiar flavour, like a recipe that has been perfected over generations.

The Vernaculaire series is a tribute to the forest rangers and woodworkers of yesterday, today and tomorrow. With decorative elements inspired by the vernacular crafts of the 17th and 18th centuries, the collection of chairs, tables, benches and stools is inspired by the design of a chair in the private collection of interior designer François Catroux. The objects are handmade by SONIAN in their workshop in the heart of Brussels.

The Vernaculaire collection was unveiled at Collectible Design 2024 and chosen by Belgium Design and MAD Brussels to represent Belgium at the Sustainable Elegance exhibition in Oslo in 2024.