Juliette Frescaline

Metal sculptor

©Alex Gallosi

Hard impressions of softness

Juliette creates sculptures using repurposed metal plates and annealed wire
Her pieces evoke natural elements like plants, trees, and animals through textures and fluid movement
She specialises in oxygen-acetylene welding of annealed wire, which gives her pieces a surprisingly soft appearance

After studying mathematics, Juliette Frescaline discovered her passion for metalwork at Olivier de Serres art school in France, where she specialised in metalwork with a DMA (Diplôme des Métiers d'Art). Working primarily with annealed wire and repurposed metal sheets, she creates sculptures that blend organic and industrial elements. Her pieces, often inspired by nature, such as plants and animals, evoke movement and texture through accumulation. The technique of welding wire creates soft, flowing forms that suggest the beauty of nature’s simplicity. Juliette values the creative process of reworking material, even scraps, to find new uses and effects, making her work a testament to innovation.

Interview

©Alex Gallosi

Why did you choose to turn this craft into your profession?: After university, I applied to Olivier de Serres without really knowing what I was getting into. My luck was being accepted, and everything unfolded from there. When I saw the metalwork studio—with its machines, projects and professors, many of whom were artists themselves—I fell in love with it.
What inspires you in your work?: I have always worked with plants I encounter in my daily life, such as mosses, weeds, various tree species planted along the streets. Their diversity, which changes with the seasons, is incredible if you take the time to notice. My current work asks how we perceive things and whether we let what we see have an emotional weight on our lives, or rush past it, unmoved.
What do you love most about your profession?: I love the excitement of a new piece, the one that obsesses you before you even start drawing or making the first move. Then, seeing it develop, grow, and challenge you along the way is incredibly rewarding.
How would you define what you do?: I work with everyday subjects using a technique of accumulation. My limited workspace forced me to perceive volume differently, and this led me to express ideas through accumulation. This concept of collectivity makes the subject stronger and more powerful—the small becomes grand by leaning on other small elements. It is a metaphor for our desire for greatness and a critique of modern individualism, without denying our own significance.

Juliette Frescaline is an expert artisan she began her career in 1995