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Explore Artisans Museums & Galleries Experience Itineraries About
©PaulReadPhotography
©Matthieu Salvaing
©Michael Huard
©Michael Huard

Mathilde Nivet

  • Paper worker
  • Paris, France
  • Master Artisan
Mathilde Nivet Paper worker
Contact
French, English, Italian
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+33 615560931
©Michael Huard

The paradox of paper

  • • Mathilde was originally an expert in textile design
  • • She is greatly inspired by floral motifs
  • • Simple tools, extreme dexterity and lots of poetry go into her creations

Both at school and at home, since she was a child, Mathilde Nivet enjoyed doing crafts. She made her own objects for the dolls she played with. When she grew up, she studied design for fabrics, but paper would be her true love. Inspired by Japanese and Asian aesthetics, tweaked to her personal taste, Mathilde creates flower gardens, sculptures of fantastic creatures, façades for palaces, flocks of birds out of paper. Paper being an unforgiving material, the slightest mistake might mean she has to start something all over again. Her paper work has led her into designing entire sets, which transport the viewer to a world of dreams: lightness and elegance are mixed in delicate shapes cut with scissors and other simple tools.

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Michael Huard
  • ©Michael Huard
  • ©Michael Huard
  • ©Michael Huard
  • ©PaulReadPhotography
Photo: ©Michael Huard
Dragon

This dragon was made for a Louis Vuitton shop in Paris, using an iron structure and bamboo circles for the body and 3D printing for head and legs. Both were covered with several layers of silk paper using primary colours and white.

Photo: ©Michael Huard
Ritz waiter

This waiter's arm was part of a larger scene of the restaurant at the Hotel Ritz in Paris. It was made entirely with white paper. The waiter is carrying a tray with the star puddings of the restaurant.

Photo: ©Michael Huard
Ritz chandelier

This chandelier was part of a window display scene of the famous restaurant of the Ritz palace. Entirely made of paper, it was lit by LEDs to convey a more realistic impression.

Photo: ©Michael Huard
Birds

This blue and grey swallow was part of a 300 bird installation for the Burlington Arcade in London. Its polyurethane body was patiently covered with hundreds of tiny paper feathers.

Photo: ©PaulReadPhotography
The English Garden

In this paper garden you will find colourful hydrangeas, anemones, wisteria, yarrow, irises, clematis, morning glory, and of course, roses. All these hundreds of flowers and leaves were carefully shaped and assembled by hand.

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