Etienne Bailleul
French Wood Artist
“I USE POWERFUL AND DELICATE SHAPES TO EXPRESS THE BEAUTY AND THE FRAGILITY OF NATURE. I’M MOSTLY INSPIRED BY PLANTS – SIMPLE ORGANISMS THAT ARE EXTREMELY DURABLE AND RESILIENT. ALWAYS ADAPTING, EVOLVING, USING A DIVERSITY OF INCREDIBLE MECHANISMS TO MULTIPLY – ALL OF THIS WITH ELEGANCE. IT IS LIFE, COMING FROM AN EXTRAORDINARILY DELICATE, FRAGILE AND EPHEMERAL ORGAN. THIS IS NOT VULNERABILITY, BUT STRENGTH.”
Sculptor and designer Etienne Bailleul lives and works in Lower Normandy, France. His pieces unify function with sculptural beauty, becoming deeply expressive meditations on nature. Each piece is an achievement of a slow process, from sourcing local woods like wild cherry, ash, and walnut, to the exquisite and complex marks of his carving. A slow rhythm aligns with the reverence that Bailleul has for the material – he describes how “I always keep in mind the living being behind the material and this relationship to time and growth. A piece of wood in my workshop is both a trace of the past and something in the making, a particular sensitive moment when the material tends towards another state.” His fascination with plant forms inspires the design of his work, exploring the softness of organic lines and a sense of growth.
© Elodie Villalon
