Laurence Lehel

Paper sculptor

©Laurence Lehel

New life for yesterday's paper

Laurence makes sculptures from reused paper
She used to work as a textile designer for French fashion houses
Her first artworks in paper date back to 1987

Laurence Lehel first worked as a textile designer before finding her expressive medium in paper. Using the technique of papier mâché, she creates surprising sculptures, offbeat and full of poetry. Folding, draping, tearing, Laurence works the material with various gestures to give it a new life. Her sculptures are made of texts and images from different publications, including newspapers, stamps, roadmaps or receipts, which are assembled. Trained at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Laurence relies on her artistic education and her experience in textiles to challenge the limits of her art: "The game is to make the material as important as the form.” Clothes, shoes, everyday objects – the sculptural potential of paper has no limits for her.

Interview

©B.Lehel

©Laurence Lehel

What was the first object you made out of paper?: The first thing I made was a series of faces. These were slightly caricatured characters. They were made of a poor material (paper) and did not look like anyone... the very opposite of marble busts.
Where does all your inspiration come from?: I observe everything, all the time. Everything inspires me without me always being aware of it, I am like a sponge. I regularly go to art exhibitions, I visit bookshops, museums. An item of news can inspire me, a landscape, the people I meet.
How do you approach tradition and innovation in your process?: The papier mâché technique is very simple at its core. It has always been water, paper and glue. My sculptures are innovative. I use paper to create either a textile or animal hair... The paper reinvents itself in my sculptures.
Can you share a memorable moment from your working life?: In 2013, I turned a refrigerator into a paper sculpture. Completely covered with pages of paperback novels and invaded by insects made of paper. It was very intriguing!

Laurence Lehel is a master artisan: she began her career in 2001 and she started teaching in 2011