Bernard Azema

TPS bois

Woodturner

A fine challenge

Bernard specialises in making trembleurs, finely turned wooden ornaments
This meticulous craft was famous in the 17th century
Trembleurs were originally made of ivory

Bernard Azema specialises in making 'trembleurs', finely crafted wooden ornaments derived from a single long piece of wood. Through his extraordinary mastery of woodturning, Bernard pushes the boundaries of the craft to create various patterns from a single piece of wood, which is made as long and thin as possible. Bernard discovered this 17th century craft by chance and his fascination for it grew over several years until he decided to start making trembleurs himself. He can now carve pieces of wood up to 150 cm long with ornamental detail as small as a fraction of a millimetre. Committed to sharing his art, Bernard organises courses for beginners and established turners. He has also written a book detailing the history and the making of these fascinating objects.

Interview

How did you discover the art of making trembleurs?: The trigger was an 18th century book by Charles Plumier. I wondered how one could make these pieces of extreme finesse without breaking them. It's like Russian roulette: the material can easily break, so the challenge is to go further and further, finer and finer.
What drives you on?: The research methodology behind it, having to develop the tools to create a pattern, and being able to reproduce it elsewhere and in other conditions. It's the passion for the trembleur, but it's also the complete approach of creating the necessary tools.
What's special about making trembleurs?: It embodies skill, self-control and patience. When you start a piece, you have to work it almost continuously so that it doesn't distort; I work four to eight hours without interruption. The wood is still alive; you release a lot of tension when you work on it.
What are your sources of inspiration?: My signature has become stylised flowers. I am inspired by vegetation, like the pomegranate tree in front of my house. My eye observes all that surrounds me, and I draw it. I am fond of polyhedrons too, I rework them into prisms and use them as patterns.

Bernard Azema is a master artisan: he began his career in 1972 and he started teaching in 2016