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© Antoine Lippens
© Antoine Lippens
© Antoine Lippens
© Antoine Lippens

Julien Vermeulen

Julien Vermeulen Featherworker
© Antoine Lippens

The art of feathers

  • • Julien is one of only 12 plummasiers in France
  • • He creates wall pieces, sculptures and installations from feathers
  • • He won the Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l'intelligence de la main in 2018

From his workshop in Paris, Julien Vermeulen explains the meticulous procedure of creating art from a feather. “The first step is to pass them through a steamer to smooth wrinkles and restore volume. Then each feather is mounted onto its support, one by one, using knots with metal thread or wire.” He describes the special pair of tweezers with a tiny razor that facilitates this time consuming task. “A large project, like a wall of feathers, for example, takes 1,000 hours.” Julien is passionate about his work, enthusiastically describing the nuances and patterns of light and shadow created as the feathers are laid down “like roof tiles” one after the other in rows.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Antoine Lippens
  • © Antoine Lippens
  • © Antoine Lippens
  • © Antoine Lippens
  • © Antoine Lippens
Photo: © Antoine Lippens
Delicacy

This piece invites the viewer into the boudoir of Queen Marie Antoinette for tea. The colours convey the appearance of the water as it comes in contact with tea. The delicate, curly goose feathers symbolise the steam coming from the cups.

Length 14.8 cm
Height 21

Photo: © Antoine Lippens
Eden

The Eden sample is a tribute to the landscapes dreamed up by the painter Douanier Rousseau. Diamond-shaped feathers evoke palm trees in the jungle, while the red goose feathers represent strelitzias, exotic flowers commonly called 'birds of paradise'.

Length 14.8 cm
Height 21

Photo: © Antoine Lippens
Almond

Almond is a sample made entirely of natural, undyed pheasant feathers, because each one of these animals possesses unique feathers with incredible colours and patterns. The 'all-over' nature of the pattern aims to demonstrate the magic of nature and the endless possibilities it offers.

Length 14.8 cm
Height 21

Photo: © Antoine Lippens
Starlight

Starlight is a decorative sphere sculpted out of oak and covered with goose and rooster feathers using a flocking technique developed by Maison Vermeulen. The flocking part is made out of what Julien calls 'dust of feather'.

Diameter 10 cm

Photo: © Antoine Lippens
Black Eole

This decorative wall piece was made as a tribute to the Greek god of wind, Aeolus. To recreate the movement of wind, Julien played with the illusion created by light hitting the black feathers, and gave the work a patinated bronze finish.

Height 200 cm
Width 100

Find Julien Vermeulen in the itinerary

Paris: in the shadow of the Bastille
13 locations
While visiting the capital, come and take a walk in the historical neighbourhood of La Bastille. Follow our 11 recommendations to discover this area and its resident master craftspeople, galleries, shops and workshops.
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