A mountain of methods for sculpture
- Solène carries forward a family legacy of craftsmanship
- She combines multiple techniques to make jewellery and objets d’art
- She works from her workshop in Alsace, within a dense network of artisans
Solène Rolland-Huckel is a jewellery maker and metalworker based in Bischwiller in the Alsace region. At her Atelier de Salem, she combines traditional jewellery and goldsmithing techniques with flame worked glass, lacquer and etching to create objects and jewellery adorned with intricate motifs. Solène dabbled with lampworked glass as a child, and trained at CERFAV, the European Centre for Research and Training in Glass Arts, before moving naturally into metalwork. Trained in jewellery making and dinanderie through Alsace’s Frémaa programme, she masters hammering, embossing and stretching for sculptural pieces. "My workshop explores materials, techniques and colour in a continual pursuit of experimentation to produce contemporary, poetic and elegant forms," explains Solène.
INTERVIEW
I combine many different techniques such as metalwork, lampworked glass, lacquer and etching. I do not consider myself a master of any single one, but combining them gives me a fuller, more nuanced artistic approach.
I grew up surrounded by craft. My father is a painter and engraver, and my mother creates art objects and jewellery collections in lacquer. From an early age, I was able to experiment with different techniques and learn from artisans in my parents’ circle. Collaborating with my mother over the past four years has also been incredibly enriching.
The Alsace-Lorraine region has a rich craft heritage, with Frémaa, the regional federation for arts and crafts, very active in organising inspiring exhibitions and events. Renowned for its glassworks such as Baccarat and Meisenthal, and fine woodworking traditions such as the Spindler marquetry workshops, the region is home to a vibrant network of artisans.
I love being in the workshop, exploring ideas and inspiration. Seeing and learning from the work of other artisans constantly feeds my own creativity and shapes the way I approach my pieces.
