Alexandre Labruyère
Furniture maker
Lille, France
Movement captured in sculptural furniture
- Alexandre makes wooden furniture with wood sourced from forests in Hauts-de-France
- Some of his pieces require up to 100 hours of hand carving
- As a seasoned cyclist, natural landscapes inspire him constantly
From the creative space he shares with other makers in Lille, Alexandre Labruyère designs and handbuilds contemporary furniture and decorative objects. He uses local materials, primarily wood. Alexandre initially studied industrial design, then worked for a large industrial sports company. In 2019 he decided to train as a cabinetmaker at the illustrious École Boulle. A passionate designer and maker with an extensive knowledge of materials, Alexandre loves to explore woodworking and cabinetmaking with techniques based on the three fundamental pillars of lightness, tension and simplicity. Some Érosion pieces were inspired by pebbles and shaped manually to capture the sensation of frozen movement. "It took me ten prototypes to manage to make the Pétiole chair and bend the back leg to mirror the inherent tension in natural movement," he explains.
INTERVIEW
While prototyping bike bags, I missed working with materials. Drawings were not enough. My love for interiors and my lifelong bond with wood, born from being by my grandfather's side, led me naturally to cabinetmaking, where shaping truly brings ideas to life.
Yes. Research is hands-on and happens in the workshop. I explore shapes through sketches, 3D mock-ups, and full-scale prototypes. Trial and error with tools and materials leads me to new gestures, new balances, and sometimes unexpected beauty.
My objects are shaped by nature’s quiet forces and inner landscapes. I look for curves that hold emotion and catch the light. The poetry lies in the balance, the silence, and what light reveals or gently leaves in shadow.
During my travels by bike, I observe landscapes slowly. In this suspended time, I feel deeply connected to nature. The curves of a coastline, the tension of a branch, the silence of a forest all nourish the forms and balances I seek in my work back in the studio.
