A 300-year-old oak from Maisons-Laffitte (Yvelines) did not resist the power of storm Ciaran in November 2023. Very attached to this tree, the Association Syndicale du Parc (ASP) decided to offer it a new life by entrusting it to Christophe Donnard, a carpenter from Saint-Thégonnec (Finistère). “It was our oldest oak, it had started to grow under Louis XV”told the Parisian Corinne Ascoli, the stage manager.
“An extraordinary experience”
“They then contacted a dozen artists, including me in a call for projects and I was selected for the style given to my sculptures”said Christophe Donnard on his Instagram page.
The carpenter imagined an XXL sculpture, which he created with a chainsaw and wood chisels. He created the bust of a horse, a large bench hollowed out of the trunk and a fox.
Christophe Donnard worked on site for around two weeks.
The work was inaugurated on Thursday November 21, 2024 and the result is visible in Maisons-Laffitte, where the tree stood. “It’s an honor for me to have carved such an oak tree. An extraordinary experience »confided the carpenter.
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