Jules Péan
Mixed media sculptor
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Making waves with rocks
- Jules crafts sculptural furniture out of an innovative debris-based material
- His work is about reimagining waste as functional or decorative objects
- He belongs to a cohort of designers harnessing the potential of discarded materials through research
Luxembourgish designer Jules Péan is a 2024 graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven whose practice combines material research with hands-on making. His ongoing project New Rocks explores how discarded construction debris, mining sediments and other local waste materials can be transformed into new biomaterials using natural binders such as salt, starch and lime. Rather than imitating nature, Jules' sculptural objects and furniture are designed to participate in natural processes, gradually evolving through their interaction with the environment. "My approach balances craft, experimentation and sustainability," hex explains. His work invites us to rethink the value of overlooked materials, revealing their potential to become objects of beauty, function and lasting value.
INTERVIEW
It started as two years of experimenting with construction waste and local stone from Luxembourg. I wanted to see whether discarded rocks could become rock again using only natural binders and low-energy processes. Eventually, making the material itself became the project.
I am interested in materials that people no longer value. By transforming them, I hope people see them differently and question how we consume, what we throw away and why some materials are considered precious while others are ignored.
I feel a strong need to work with my hands. I like to feel dusty and dirty, as it is when I feel most connected to what I do. Making is how I think and express ideas, and the physical process is just as important to me as the finished object.
I do not think there is a name for it yet, but more designers are treating sustainable materials as the starting point. Studying at Design Academy Eindhoven, I was inspired by teachers including Nacho Carbonell, Eric Klarenbeek, Maartje Dros and Basse Stittgen, whose radical material research spans everything from mycelium and blood to bread.
Jules Péan
Mixed media sculptor
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
French, English, Dutch
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