This month, Caractères Paris introduces the work of Armel Barraud, a lace maker using metallic threads, storyteller, and illustrator. In her studio at Le Pré Saint Gervais, Armel creates narrative works using lace made from metallic threads. These stories transport viewers into an imaginative world.
By drawing in three dimensions, Armel Barraud tells a story that invites the viewer into a poetic realm where the imagination and subconscious take precedence.
Lace in Metal: Between Tradition and Modernity
Armel discovered this craft through her participation in the French Federation of Lace and Embroidery competition. Captivated by the technique, she chose to train in Portugal with traditional lace makers in Vila do Conde. By distancing herself from the conservatism of traditional French lace makers, she learned freely and applied this expertise to a new material: metal.
Armel uses a foundational drawing on which weaving points are marked by needles. Bobbins attached to threads are intertwined to create both the lace and the design.
Between tradition and modernity, Armel’s metal lace utilizes ancestral techniques while renewing their expression through the innovative use of metal.
Her work features traditional motifs such as laburnum flowers, clusters of small blossoms often seen in lace decorations, and cross patterns inside circles reminiscent of the Saint-Esprit decor. Thanks to Armel, these traditional lace designs now merge with metal.
Between 3D Drawing and Storytelling
Armel's work is characterized by its powerful three-dimensional drawing, a narrative element that transports us back to the naïve world of childhood. Her drawings run across white walls, casting shadows that give volume to the story.
Armel Barraud’s wall stories are in constant motion, changing with the light. They become the shadows cast on the wall, inviting the viewer to interact with the artwork by changing their position.
Myths inhabit Armel's work, inspired by Christian and medieval legends. In Variation de la Dame à La licorne, for instance, the symbol of purity is found in the figure of the Young Unicorn, while the Rabbit and the Partridge represent allegories of fertility.
Literary tradition is one of Armel Barraud’s main sources of inspiration, particularly the works of Jean Cocteau. Like Cocteau, who could narrate a story with a single pencil stroke, Armel weaves a narrative with a simple metallic thread.
Armel Barraud’s work transports us back to the world of childhood, inviting us to view reality with more innocence and poetry.
Paris, April 16, 2020
