Advent Calendar Brand Teaser: Verek

Varek begins on the rocks and tide pools of the Île de Ré, where two brothers first learn to love the water, long before either of them holds a paintbrush with any real intention. This year, we bring their work into our Advent Calendar, and we want to tell you more about them before your Box arrives!

Two Brothers, One Coastline

On the Île de Ré, where the Atlantic pulls back twice a day to reveal rock pools and stretches of seaweed-strewn sand, brothers Côme and Roméo spend their days with paintbrushes in hand. They call themselves fisher-painters, a title that captures exactly how they work. Before they are illustrators, they are fishermen and divers, following a path their parents walked ahead of them. Their parents, too, find their happiness at the water’s edge, brush in hand.

Childhood afternoons on slippery rocks and low tides grow into a lifelong pursuit. The brothers set themselves a singular goal: to paint every fish and crustacean they encounter on their travels. It is a project that carries them to the four corners of the world, chasing the most beautiful catches the ocean has to offer.

The Meaning Behind the Name

Their brand takes its name from varech, the French word for the kelp that washes ashore along their native coastline with every changing tide. For the brothers, this seaweed holds an entire childhood inside it: the rhythm of the tides, their first catches, their first falls on slick rocks, and the beginning of a passion that never leaves them. It speaks, too, of the open water beyond the shore, and of a hunger for discovery that still pulls them toward new coastlines.

It is a name that carries the sea with it, which makes it the natural emblem for an art built entirely around the ocean.

Crafted Close to Home

Varek’s commitment runs deeper than aesthetics. Every material the brothers choose- wood, paper, enamel, textile- is selected for its quality and its origin. Wherever possible, their pieces are made in France; when that is not possible, they turn to European makers rather than looking further afield. It is a quiet form of care that echoes the attention they bring to their paintings themselves.

A Fitting Addition to This Year’s Calendar

Varek’s work carries something rare: a family history, a coastline, and a devotion to craft that spans generations. We think you will feel that moment when their piece arrives in your hands this December.

We cannot wait for you to discover what Varek has created for our Advent Calendar.

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