Paper as an hymn to friendship
- Catherine's artworks are made with paper she makes herself
- The encounter of water and fibres creates the shapes in her works
- Her paper bas-reliefs reflect on human relationships
Initially a handbag designer, Catherine Loiret has nurtured a second passion as a papermaker and artist. Since discovering papermaking at a traditional mill, she has become fascinated by the material and its rich, contrasting qualities. Working directly in the mill, Catherine follows a traditional process and experiments particularly with the ‘papermaker’s tears’ – drops of water that fall as the sheet is lifted and laid down during the papermaking process. "The delicate moment when water meets paper is a defining part of my work," she explains. "It is what produces my torn-like shapes and textures." Through delicate paper bas-reliefs, Catherine brings characters to life. “I speak of people’s lives and their ambivalence through paper rather than words,” she says.
Interview
- How did you discover papermaking?
- During my very first visit to a paper mill. I was invited to make a sheet — the first of my life. It was a revelation: hands in the pulp, the fibres slowly settling. It felt like an ancient, almost magical secret. I came out soaked but filled with certainty that I had to do this again as often as possible.
- When did you open your own studio?
- In 2009, I opened a small space with two display windows where I could quietly work. Soon, passers-by knocked and asked to come in, and within months, the workspace became a studio-showroom. Today, I am still just as happy to welcome visitors.
- What was the biggest turning point in your career?
- Without a doubt, it was an unexpected encounter after an exhibition at a Paris gallery. Intrigued by my work, a fellow exhibitor asked me if I could make a bag. I took on the challenge and created a unique, somewhat crazy paper model and he loved it. He turned out to be the Head of Leather at Hermès, and my prototype is now in their collections.
- Are you trying to convey a message in your work?
- Yes, deeply so. Paper symbolises both fragility and strength. My figures express the strength of the group and the fragility of the individual. Mixed and intertwined in the same composition, they unite, joyfully, in a hymn to friendship.
Catherine Loiret is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1997
Where
Catherine Loiret
