Matthieu Cheminée

Born and raised in Paris, France, Matthieu Cheminée first became interested in metalsmithing at 19 years old when he moved to Taos, New Mexico and immersed himself in Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi techniques and traditions. Later on, he resettled in Mali where he learned Fulani, Tuareg, and other West African traditional metalworking styles. In the interceding years, Matthieu has fused these influences with contemporary western traditions, occupying an important place in the jewelry world as intermediary between old-world generational techniques and the modern craft scene. He is also the originator of a metal stamping technique called Stampclastic.

His first book, Legacy, Jewelry Techniques of West Africa, is an important contribution to the art world: part technical guide, part anthropological record documenting techniques at risk of being lost to history. His second book, The Art of Stamping is a similarly important resource documenting traditional Native American stamping techniques and modern derivatives. In 2023, Schiffer Craft published Inadan: The Mastery of Tuareg Artisans, perhaps the most comprehensive volume ever written about this important cultural resource. Matthieu currently lives in Montreal, Canada with his family where he makes jewelry, writes and teaches.