Jean-Pascal Lheureux

Woodworker

©Jean-Pascal L'Heureux

Symphonies in wood

Jean-Pascal sees sculpture as an extension of his cabinetmaking
His sculpture is inspired by fossils and shells, polished and patinated by time
His work has been featured in various exhibitions

Having mastered both, Jean-Pascal Lheureux subtly blends the craft of cabinetmaker with that of woodcarver. Influenced by childhood memories of visiting his great uncle's wheelwright workshop, his passion for wood arose at a young age. After a first career in furniture making, Jean-Pascal opened his woodturning workshop in 2004, where he has since perfected a variety of techniques, such as steam bending, green wood turning, ornamental techniques and lacquer finishing methods. His clean-lined creations find form in sculptures and contemporary furniture, through which he gracefully lets the nobility of wood emerge. Nature, especially minerals and fossils, have inspired his most refined pieces, giving wood the resemblance of ceramic.

Interview

©Jean-Pascal L'Heureux

©Jean-Pascal L'Heureux

How would you define your approach to work?: My work is linked to influences in my own life: my passion for photography, my readings – such as The Drawing of the Three, or texts by Isaac Asimov. I can as easily make furniture in solid oak, vases in trellis work or sculptures: it allows me to never be in the routine of formatted realisation.
What do you like most about your craft?: The wide range of possibilities: the warmth of wood and its beauty is something that we must know how to emphasise. The pleasure of being able to make custom-made pieces as well as pure creations without any constraints other than my imagination and my will to create.
Do you have any memorable work experience to share?: The creation and reproduction of vases in trellis work for historical monuments in Brussels. The pieces were realised from photographs and archive pictures: I had to retrace the techniques, the assemblies and the modelling of that period to be able reproduce them.
In what way is your craft linked to your territory?: The region where I live is strongly linked to craftsmanship. Troyes is famous for its stained-glass windows, Nancy for its great cabinetmakers. My workshop is also located in a village that for a long time had an atelier making moulds for shoes and then there was the furniture factory where I used to work.

Jean-Pascal Lheureux is an expert artisan he began his career in 1986