Marion Hawecker

Softness to speak about nature

• Marion sculpts evocative works with dense combinations of feather textures
• She was awarded the Jeune Création Métiers d'Art de France in 2021
• She explores our relationship with nature through her art

A native of Strasbourg, France, Marion Hawecker is a plumassière, or featherwork artist, who sculpts innovative works of art using bird feathers. After studying art and architecture, Marion started her career as an architect. She soon realised she missed the manual work of applied arts. Testing out various artforms, Marion rediscovered featherwork in 2015 and completed a two-year course at Lycée Octave Feuillet in Paris – the only school in France that teaches this unique and historic artform. After an apprenticeship in featherwork at the luxury couture brand Maison Lemarié, Marion launched her new career as a standalone plumassière in 2019. In 2021, she received the national prize for young artists (prix Jeune Création Métiers d’Art de France) for her exceptional artistry.

Interview

©Yoann Hector

©Béatrice Grandclément

Why did you choose feathers as your craft?

I like creating works of art that have meaning. My work is not just about aesthetics, but also about engaging people and calling something into question. Featherwork is slow and meticulous, but for some reason, I have endless patience for this natural material.

How do you select your feathers?

Every bird has many types of feathers, each serving a different function, from weather protection to flight. I view each feather as a small jewel in and of itself. I obtain most of my feathers from specialised dealers. I look for the colours, forms and textures that match my vision for a piece.

Where does feather art originate?

There is a history of featherwork on every continent. In France, plumasserie became a recognized profession in the 13th century and peaked around the turn of the 20th century. By the 1960s, it had almost disappeared, except for a few specialty houses that do featherwork for haute couture and cabarets.

What inspires your contemporary take on featherwork?

I am interested in the relationship between humans and the natural world, whether animal, plant or mineral. I am inspired by time-polished shells washed onto a beach, by the imprint of a hand holding a ball of clay, or by the light and shadow of textured paper.

Marion Hawecker is a rising star: she began her career in 2019 and she started teaching in 2021

Works

©Marie Benattar

©Marie Bennattar

©Marie Bennattar

Where