Élodie Michaud & Rébecca Fezard

Hors-Studio

Mixed media sculptor | Neuvy-le-Roi, France

Biomaterials for the future

Élodie and Rébecca create new biomaterials for artistic applications
Their work extends to scenography, design, architecture and creative objects
They have been awarded with several major prizes

Artisans, designers and researchers, Élodie Michaud and Rébecca Fezard are the founders of Hors-Studio, a workshop and lab that turns waste into new and biodegradable materials to create artistic installations and design objects. This innovative concept was born of their shared interest in the ennoblement of materials and textiles, and their real awareness of the impact of the designer's work on the environment. Their research focuses on a wide range of industrial and natural waste materials: shells, neoprene, cellulose, to name but a few. One of Hors-Studio’s signature developments is the leatherstone, a biomaterial made from leather scraps and biodegradable glue, which can be sculpted, engraved, 3D printed, and applied to various finishes.

Interview

©Matthieu Baran

What is your background and how did you meet?: Rébecca: I trained at the Beaux-Arts in Lyon, and specialised in the design of surfaces, materials and textiles. Élodie and I met in an Artisan d’Art workshop. Élodie had just graduated from the Ensaama School of Art & Design. We soon noticed that we shared an interest in the sublimation of materials, but we found it rather odd to work with materials that did not address sustainability.
What is the creative process at Hors-Studio?: Élodie: Our creative process involves a dialogue between design, science, art and innovation. We draw on the creativity of our work as designers and experience in craft to coordinate this ongoing dialogue. It also always involves a link with the past: our materials are inspired by ancient recipes used by different craft professions.
What materials do you focus on particularly?: Élodie: Our spectrum is very broad, we look for materials that have no recycling systems: principally leather, of which the industry presents 50% of losses, shell scraps (oyster shells, etc), and all biomass materials. Our expertise then specially lies in the development of biodegradable glues that will function as binders.
Can you share about your other project, Precious Kitchen?: Rébecca: Project Kitchen is an online platform that lists the waste materials available in the geographical area, so it can be used for new purposes. It also shares educational support, some of our recipes. We created it in 2018, driven by our understanding of the responsability we bear in adding objects to the world. Transmission is at the heart of craftsmanship, and this project is our way of doing so.

Élodie Michaud & Rébecca Fezard are master artisans: they began their career in 2016 and they started teaching in 2018