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©Laurence Lehel
©Laurence Lehel
©Laurence Lehel
©Laurence Lehel

Laurence Lehel

  • Paper sculptor
  • La Frette sur Seine, France
  • Master Artisan
Laurence Lehel Paper sculptor
Contact
French, English
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+33 683756710
©B.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.

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Laurence Lehel
  • ©Laurence Lehel
  • ©Laurence Lehel
  • ©Laurence Lehel
  • ©Laurence Lehel
Photo: ©Laurence Lehel
Capeline à cornes

Entirely crafted from old reused paper, this little cape is made using the papier mâché technique. The sculpture looks like an animal trophy or a traditional garment. Featuring slightly curved horns, large ears hidden in a straight, dark crest and long paper hair, it could be related to an antelope. This sculpture can be placed on its wooden base or hung on the wall.

Photo: ©Laurence Lehel
Postiche de chèvre

This sculpture made of papier mâché portrays a goat's head with long curved horns and small ears hidden in the paper hair. The piece is sculpted from neutral-coloured old paper; the inner part is made of gold mulberry paper.

Photo: ©Laurence Lehel
Un demi-âne

A revisited version of the tale Peau d’âne, this donkey's head sculpture is more of a hat than an animal trophy. Made entirely of paper and standing on a wooden base, the donkey’s head features long ears, black eyes and a smooth, plain muzzle. The sculpture is made from old reused paper, and red mulberry paper was used for the inner part.

Photo: ©Laurence Lehel
Postiche d’une antilope

With its two long pointed horns, two large ears and long hair, this paper sculpture is an antelope hairpiece. It has been made from old reused paper and gold mulberry paper.

Photo: ©Laurence Lehel
Mules disco

These shoes were made entirely with the papier mâché technique. The black heels contrast with the neutral colour of the paper.

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