When science fuels creation: from biology to concrete jewelry
I worked for 12 years in biology laboratories: as an intern, then as a doctoral student, postdoctoral researcher, and researcher. A journey made up of hypotheses, questions, experiments, protocols, analyses, observations… and many unforeseen events, which are often sources of progress.
Today, I realize that these scientific reflexes permeate my practice as a creator of concrete jewelry.
In my workshop, I continue to experiment – but with concrete as the raw material.
An experimental approach applied to concrete
In scientific research, every hypothesis must be tested, validated, or invalidated. That's exactly what I do today with my jewelry. Like in a laboratory, I keep a "lab notebook," I record my procedures, I compare the results, I try to understand why one piece is perfect while another doesn't have the right texture or isn't durable enough. Each new piece of jewelry is like a small scientific discovery.
Exploring matter as a living organism
From my scientific background, I also retained a taste for curiosity and keen observation. Concrete, which many perceive as cold or raw, becomes for me a living material. A material that must be tamed because there is no manual that explains how to use it to make jewelry. Everything has to be invented. I combine it with metals , glass , gold , or shells ; I test its resistance, its reaction to protective varnishes, its ability to interact with light or skin. As in biology, I seek to reveal the hidden properties of matter, to explore its behavior under various conditions.
Between rigor and creative freedom
Scientific rigor compels me to be demanding: a piece of jewelry must be aesthetically pleasing, but also durable and comfortable to wear. Every clasp, every finish is carefully considered and tested to achieve the perfect balance between beauty and practicality. But the creative process also allows me to transcend the strict confines of science: here, "negative results" sometimes become delightful surprises, new avenues to explore. An unforeseen bubble can give rise to a deliberately imperfect and unique piece. An excess of pigment can create interesting patterns reminiscent of minerals.
Science as the foundation of an artistic approach
While my jewelry possesses a poetic and artistic dimension, it is based on a process of constant experimentation inherited from my scientific background. Ultimately, the laboratory and the workshop are not so far apart: as in my career as a researcher, I search, I doubt, I compare, I adjust, I test… and I rejoice in my discoveries.