Christophe Nancey

The forest of imagination

• Christophe has run his atelier since 1984
• Woodturning is how he expresses his creative potential
• His work has been featured in various exhibitions

From the first time Christophe Nancey got his hands on the wood lathe, he knew he did not want to do anything else. The French woodturner discovered the tool at the age of 23 and has never ceased to experiment with it. In his sculptures, Christophe reveals the depth and finesse of wood. Turning, inlaying, carving; his technical mastery serves his expression and results in sculptures: “I am the craftsman of my own art”. A self-taught artist, he has developed his own methods to subtly underline the character of wood. Christophe’s pieces appear as living objects arising from his imaginary nature. Guided by inspiration from the chimera, the phenomena of life, the wood sculptor makes palpable moments where life emerges.

Interview

©Christophe Nancey

©Cyril Moré

What makes a "well made" sculpture to you?

It means giving the impression that the object is natural, that it exists thanks to nature and doesn't look man made. Sometimes people say of my works: "where did you find it?" so I say, "I found it in the forest of my imagination". Life is expressed through the object.

When and how did you actually start?

Just after my internship in 1984. I finished it at the end of March and in early June I set up my first exhibition! I first started in my father’s atelier; he was a cabinetmaker. I found an old wooden lathe, I started to experiment with it.

What specific techniques have you developed?

The technique of inlaying with tin, my first technical creation. It took me 3 to 4 years to master it completely. It consists of enhancing the natural defects of the wood, using its empty parts, natural gaps. From this, I also developed the mosaic technique, constructing pieces from those voids.

What is a memorable moment in your professional life?

Between 1992-1995, the movement of French turners invited turners from abroad, especially Canadians. Their technical advancement of the craft brought us a lot. It was three extraordinary years of collective and individual growth, a great novelty and a burst of enthusiasm.

Christophe Nancey is a master artisan: he began his career in 1984 and he started teaching in 1995

Works

©Christophe Nancey

©Christophe Nancey

©Christophe Nancey

©Christophe Nancey

©Christophe Nancey

Where