Emmanuelle Dupont

Embroiderer

©Jennifer Ryan

©Justin Mackenzie Peers

©Jennifer Ryan

©Emmanuelle Dupont

Adventures in textile embroidery

Emmanuelle specialises in needlepoint embroidery
She won the Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l'intelligence de la main in 2008
She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others

Emmanuelle Dupont had always been creative and tried many different crafts as a child. But it was only when she first visited the Duperré School in Paris that embroidery suddenly seemed the obvious choice. She was just leaving high school and still did not really know what she wanted to do, but during an open day visit she was particularly drawn to the embroidery department. She was captivated by the “extraordinary” possibilities offered by textiles, including the opportunity to experiment. Many years later, she still thinks the possibilities are endless.

Interview

©Jennifer Ryan

How would you define what you do?: Sculpture is what I like doing the most because it is a type of work that really allows me to research and experiment. I find great freedom there. What interests me is the final outcome. I am very demanding. Things must be finished impeccably, that is very important to me.
Where do you draw inspiration?: I get inspiration from vegetation, animal forms, insects, anything that is linked to nature in a very broad sense, from the giant to the microscopic. The aquatic world inspires me at the moment, the connections that can exist between different species. Textile materials also inspire me.
How do tradition and innovation come into your work?: Tradition and innovation are inseparable because it is by knowing traditional techniques that one learns to master them and then take them in new directions, either by modifying the technique or by modifying what you apply that technique to.
Do you pass on your skills to others?: I taught for three years in Charente-Maritime, and now I teach at DNMADE in Nîmes. I also offer workshops in embroidery and creative development to people who are on an artistic journey. I feel very comfortable sharing my skills and I think it is important to pass on what I have learned. It wouldn't be right to keep my knowledge to myself.

Emmanuelle Dupont is a master artisan: she began her career in 2005 and she started teaching in 2011