Martin Berger

Decorative painter

©Max Teste

Choreographer of matter

Martin creates his décor through exploration of body and matter
His works are physically demanding
The movement-space relationship is fundamental to him

Artist and creative director of his eponymous studio, Martin Berger explores matter through motion and light, offering a unique perspective on decorative arts. His mural creations are imagined as a choreography in which body and matter perform to photograph a gesture in space. With over 20 years of experience, Ateliers Martin Berger is today a reference in the field of decoration, working with luxury houses and architects. Martin relies on an experimental approach to constantly innovate with new processes. He has notably created the concept of paper marquetry, in which materials are worked on flexible supports for unlimited textural effects and plays of light, with no constraints of dimensions. “How do we reflect our energy in a space?”, is Martin's quest.

Interview

©Max Teste

©Max Teste

What educational background led you to this craft?: I am a graduate of nothing. I trained as an auditor at the Ecole du Louvre, which taught me to look, see and understand the history of art. I started out as an art dealer for a few years, before working in artists' workshops, where I learned how to use pigments and colour. and to test them myself.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?: I was born in Chambéry and grew up surrounded by water, snow and wood: the forces of nature. I am very much influenced by what I see around me every day. Nature is an important source, but also everything related to culture, cinema, dance, movement. I am fed by what many artists do.
What defines a "well finished" work for you?: Beyond the need to be satisfied myself, the outlook of others matters. When my team and I finish a project and are happy with it, we applaud each other. It is a beautiful moment; you know you put your heart into it and your body reacts to that. It happens sometimes, but not with every project.
As an artist and artisan, how do you approach tradition?: Tradition is drawn from what exists, by observing what has been before. Looking at the oldest to understand. For me, it is important that the craft remains in tradition, but it is also important to have people in the craft who expand on it. My work must have a contemporary beauty, adapted to the times.

Martin Berger is a master artisan: he began his career in 1992 and he started teaching in 2003