“A PROJECT IS THE SHADOW OF DESIRE, A DREAM OF FANTASY,” HENRI-FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL, WRITER AND PHILOSOPHER
I love artistic challenges and coming up with ideas for interior or outdoor decoration projects, sculpture, furniture, corporate gift, trophy, etc. I imagine bespoke proposals for private and professional customers with elegant and high-end materials.
“A PROJECT IS THE SHADOW OF DESIRE, A DREAM OF FANTASY,” HENRI-FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL, WRITER AND PHILOSOPHER
Do you have a project? Let’s talk about how we can make it happen.
I love artistic challenges and coming up with ideas for interior or outdoor decoration projects, sculpture, furniture, corporate gift, trophy, etc. I imagine bespoke proposals for private and professional customers with elegant and high-end materials.
Envolée – commande privée, Belgique 2023
The Envolée project is a private commission, made to measure for a 150 m² living room with lots of natural light. The clients wanted to make a lasting impression on visitors by decorating their walls with an atypical, delicate and precious artwork.
Envolée consists of 3 panels, each measuring 2.50 m x 0.60 m, and 3 wall sculptures designed in collaboration with the interior architect and the clients. The gold of the panels and the wall sculptures symbolise leaves that fly in a movement from the entrance to the bay windows.
See the video 👉 https://youtu.be/VK9mT0yc_HQ?si=NmFVU8E8IGzBzJRF
Photo and video credits : Marion Saupin
Artwork in companies - MAP Space Coating
The Ciel Etoilé project was commissioned by MAP Space Coating company for its new headquarters in reference to its activity in the space industry.
A wall panel of 5 m x 1.50 m was created and installed in the reception hall. In the patio a sculptural installation made of 14 columns of 2m height simulates a sky at night where the stars sparkle according to the movement of light.
See the video 👉 https://youtu.be/jbqzNUScXm4
Photo credits: Sophie Chaulaic, Jérôme Clochard, Marc Le Dizet
Envolée - bespoke creation, Belgium 2023
The Envolée project is a private commission, made to measure for a 150 m² living room with lots of natural light. The clients wanted to make a lasting impression on visitors by decorating their walls with an atypical, delicate and precious artwork.
Envolée consists of 3 panels, each measuring 2.50 m x 0.60 m, and 3 wall sculptures designed in collaboration with the interior architect and the clients. The gold of the panels and the wall sculptures symbolise leaves that fly in a movement from the entrance to the bay windows.
See the video 👉 https://youtu.be/VK9mT0yc_HQ?si=NmFVU8E8IGzBzJRF
Photo and video credits : Marion Saupin
Artwork in companies - MAP Space Coating
The Ciel Etoilé project was commissioned by MAP Space Coating company for its new headquarters in reference to its activity in the space industry.
A wall panel of 5 m x 1.50 m was created and installed in the reception hall. In the patio a sculptural installation made of 14 columns of 2m height simulates a sky at night where the stars sparkle according to the movement of light.
See the video 👉 https://youtu.be/jbqzNUScXm4
Photo credits: Sophie Chaulaic, Jérôme Clochard, Marc Le Dizet
THE ORIENT EXPRESS
I was asked to take part in making the mosaic floors destined for the Grand Suite bathrooms on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) train operated by British company Belmond.
The carriages have been fully reimagined and restored by Ateliers ACC in Clermont Ferrand to offer six luxury Grand Suites, named after cities visited on the itinerary: Paris, Venice, Istanbul, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Belmond commissioned a number of specialist artisans to decorate these carriages that are the epitome of luxury with glass work, marquetry, marble, upholstery and mosaics. The marble tile floors (under the supervision of Absolut Mosaïque studio) were crafted based on motifs inspired by interior design company "Wimberly Interiors". Absolut Mosaïque) ont été créés selon des motifs d’inspiration fournis par le bureau de décoration et design « Wimberly interiors ».
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque and Belmond
THE ORIENT EXPRESS
I was asked to take part in making the mosaic floors destined for the Grand Suite bathrooms on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) train operated by British company Belmond.
The carriages have been fully reimagined and restored by Ateliers ACC in Clermont Ferrand to offer six luxury Grand Suites, named after cities visited on the itinerary: Paris, Venice, Istanbul, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Belmond commissioned a number of specialist artisans to decorate these carriages that are the epitome of luxury with glass work, marquetry, marble, upholstery and mosaics. The marble tile floors (under the supervision of Absolut Mosaïque studio) were crafted based on motifs inspired by interior design company "Wimberly Interiors". Absolut Mosaïque) ont été créés selon des motifs d’inspiration fournis par le bureau de décoration et design « Wimberly interiors ».
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque and Belmond
STREET FURNITURE MOSAIC – DANSE DU PERTUIS
BOLD MOSAIC ART ON STREET FURNITURE IN CHARENTE MARITIME
As part of plans to upgrade the street furniture and improve the coastline in the towns of Châtelaillon Plage and Yves, local decision-makers wanted to breathe new life into this popular meeting spot and give the utilitarian street furnishings an ornamental touch. Nature and the sea were the themes selected to inspire the colors and sense of movement in the design. The mosaics on the curved wave-like benches were made using the trencadis technique, a style popular with Gaudi that consists of arranging broken pieces of ceramic to depict the subject in a faux naive, colorful and harmonious way. The work was commissioned by Cargo Bleu which assembled a team of four professional mosaic artists including myself to design, coordinate, execute and manage the complex logistics of this beautiful creative project (under the artistic direction of Absolut Mosaïque).
Danse du Pertuis – Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque
Decorative mosaic mural – Nursery school in Le Vernet (Haute-Garonne)
« Joie de vivre » is the title of this 4.5-sq.m decorative mosaic designed by the children of Le Vernet nursery school inspired by their teacher Cécilia Ferreira. Over several months, we taught the budding artists about mosaic art, prepared the substrate based on their drawings, then created the decoration using only second-hand materials such as crockery, earthenware, and jars.
The project was funded by Toulouse local education office and Le Vernet council. Artist Marc Le Dizet helped with installing the mosaic.
Decorative mosaic mural – Nursery school in Le Vernet (Haute-Garonne)
« Joie de vivre » is the title of this 4.5-sq.m decorative mosaic designed by the children of Le Vernet nursery school inspired by their teacher Cécilia Ferreira. Over several months, we taught the budding artists about mosaic art, prepared the substrate based on their drawings, then created the decoration using only second-hand materials such as crockery, earthenware, and jars.
The project was funded by Toulouse local education office and Le Vernet council. Artist Marc Le Dizet helped with installing the mosaic.
Paving for a villa in Biarritz
A 1900-style marble mosaic makes an entrance
The owners wanted to give their entrance a lift by installing a marble mosaic floor inspired by the Villa Natacha set on a hill in Biarritz. Mission accomplished with a mosaic that one might easily mistake for original tile work.
Designed and installed by: Nathalie Chaulaic with the assistance of Jérôme Clochard (Absolut Mosaïque studio)
Conception et réalisation : Nathalie Chaulaic avec la participation d’autres ateliers.
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque
Midi-Pyrénées trophies
For the occasion of the “Où vit-on le mieux” (literally “where is the best place to live?”) operation organized by the regional daily La Dépêche du Midi, its event agency La Dépêche Events commissioned me to design and make 36 trophies to be awarded to the towns that offered the best quality of life in Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées.
I love repurposing objects to preserve them and give them a new lease of life. The slender form of the barrel staves immediately inspired me for the design of these trophies. I chose a key color for each category.
Midi-Pyrénées trophies
For the occasion of the “Où vit-on le mieux” (literally “where is the best place to live?”) operation organized by the regional daily La Dépêche du Midi, its event agency La Dépêche Events commissioned me to design and make 36 trophies to be awarded to the towns that offered the best quality of life in Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées.
I love repurposing objects to preserve them and give them a new lease of life. The slender form of the barrel staves immediately inspired me for the design of these trophies. I chose a key color for each category.
Tagging with mosaic art in Rennes
Joining up with the Absolut Mosaïque studio, we created and laid mosaics for the "Untitled" project organized by Nikolas Fouré, which consisted of designing a decorative artwork for the Gayeulles indoor swimming pool in Rennes (funded by the Percent for Art scheme). The project entailed producing several mosaic fragments borrowing the language of street tagging as an homage to Rennes-born mosaic artist Isidore Odorico.
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque.
Mosaic restoration
Restoring antique mosaics to preserve them for the future
With extensive knowledge of traditional mosaics, I can restore your antique mosaics, working in partnership with Jérôme Clochard who runs the Absolut Mosaïque studio. My experience is mostly in restoring mosaics from the 19th and early 20 century that are part of our heritage and the history of the building where they lay, which I feel are important to conserve.
Bourgogne mausoleum in Champagne (Marne)
A superb Byzantine Revival treasure
In the 19th century, Marie-Théodorine Faynot, devastated by the death of her husband Judge Faynot, commissioned a mausoleum in his honor. A monument worthy of a king, it was inspired by Byzantine art and more specifically the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. Decorated in precious marble and mosaics, the mausoleum, which measures 18 meters tall and covers an area of 300 square meters, was left abandoned in 1914. The magnificent building gradually fell into disrepair until a local charity (the Bourgogne Mausoleum Rescue Association) was established in 2011 to restore and preserve the monument.
The restoration of the mosaics has been ongoing since 2015 (project managed by Jérôme Clochard of the Absolut Mosaïque studio) and I have lent an extra pair of hands since 2016.
The Bourgogne Mausoleum Rescue Association is in need of funding. All the restoration work is being financed by donations and cultural patronage (with tax relief). You can support this heritage project by making a donation online: here.
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque.
Bourgogne mausoleum in Champagne (Marne)
A superb Byzantine Revival treasure
In the 19th century, Marie-Théodorine Faynot, devastated by the death of her husband Judge Faynot, commissioned a mausoleum in his honor. A monument worthy of a king, it was inspired by Byzantine art and more specifically the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. Decorated in precious marble and mosaics, the mausoleum, which measures 18 meters tall and covers an area of 300 square meters, was left abandoned in 1914. The magnificent building gradually fell into disrepair until a local charity (the Bourgogne Mausoleum Rescue Association) was established in 2011 to restore and preserve the monument.
The restoration of the mosaics has been ongoing since 2015 (project managed by Jérôme Clochard of the Absolut Mosaïque studio) and I have lent an extra pair of hands since 2016.
The Bourgogne Mausoleum Rescue Association is in need of funding. All the restoration work is being financed by donations and cultural patronage (with tax relief). You can support this heritage project by making a donation online: here.
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque.
Albert Schweitzer High School – Le Raincy (Seine-Saint-Denis)
Built in the former grounds of the Château du Raincy, Albert Schweitzer High School, designed by architect Raymond Petit, is listed as an historic monument.
The school’s exterior façade is decorated with forty cast glass mosaics dating from the 1960s. They are arranged in tableaux giving the effect of windows. It's uncertain who originally designed the mosaics (possibly Henri Van Moe?). The restoration involved filling in the gaps and cleaning up all of the mosaics (under the supervision of Jérôme Clochard of the Absolut Mosaïque studio) as part of the overall renovation of the building by Pradeau & Morin.
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque.
La Maison de la Gaieté
La Maison de la Gaieté started out life as a cabaret bar in the 1930s and went on to become a social hub for the local community of Chérac, Charente-Maritime (west coast of France). A varied program of events — including orchestras, performances, dancing and art exhibitions — kept the venue alive until the late sixties. Ismaël Villeger, who ran the establishment from 1937 to 1953, had the original idea to decorate the café’s facade and interior with recovered crockery fragments which were assembled with reinforced concrete in a mosaic style. An example of “raw art” and an artist’s lifetime labor of love.
The mosaics are currently being restored (under the supervision of Jérôme Clochard of the Absolut Mosaïque studio). In 2018, we started with the south-facing exterior wall.
The entire building is currently under renovation to transform La Maison de la Gaieté into a popular and vibrant community hub once again.
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque.
La Maison de la Gaieté
La Maison de la Gaieté started out life as a cabaret bar in the 1930s and went on to become a social hub for the local community of Chérac, Charente-Maritime (west coast of France). A varied program of events — including orchestras, performances, dancing and art exhibitions — kept the venue alive until the late sixties. Ismaël Villeger, who ran the establishment from 1937 to 1953, had the original idea to decorate the café’s facade and interior with recovered crockery fragments which were assembled with reinforced concrete in a mosaic style. An example of “raw art” and an artist’s lifetime labor of love.
The mosaics are currently being restored (under the supervision of Jérôme Clochard of the Absolut Mosaïque studio). In 2018, we started with the south-facing exterior wall.
The entire building is currently under renovation to transform La Maison de la Gaieté into a popular and vibrant community hub once again.
Photo credits: Absolut Mosaïque.