Maison Parisienne, the nomadic gallery founded by Florence Guillier Bernard, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a remarkable exhibition showcasing the pinnacle of contemporary craftsmanship at the Musée des Arts décoratifs (MAD Museum) in Paris.

For its 15th-anniversary exhibition, Maison Parisenne has commissioned 15 exceptional works by 15 renowned artists such as Simone Pheulpin, Pierre Renart, Hervé Wahlen, Gérald Vatrin, and others. These exclusive creations will be showcased at the historic Hall des Maréchaux within the MAD Museum. The venue’s symbolic significance and hidden charm make it the perfect setting to unveil these distinctive artworks, highlighting the artists’ mastery in harmony with the grandeur of the space.

Florence Guillier Bernard says: “For the past 15 years, Maison Parisienne has consistently championed the excellence of contemporary French craftsmanship. This anniversary is an opportunity to pay tribute to the artists, as well as to the collectors, museums, institutions and partners who have supported and advocated the pioneering commitment of the gallery.”

Contemporary

Fifteen years ago, Florence Guillier Bernard embarked on a daring adventure: to share her contemporary vision of exceptional craftsmanship and promote creators who, through ancestral gestures and innovative techniques, were inventing a new artistic language, each centered around a preferred material. Since 2008, Maison Parisienne has been affirming this avant-garde approach every day.

Florence Guillier Bernard has also chosen to establish a nomadic gallery, presenting works in exclusive venues such as Hôtel Solvay and Villa Empain in Brussels, Ely House in London, Chapelle Expiatoire and Artcurial in Paris, as well as at renowned art fairs, including PAD Paris, Collect, and PAD London. Nearly 70 exhibitions have been organised in this way by Maison Parisienne since the very first one at the Plaza Athénée, the prestigious palace in the capital.

The gallerist’s unwavering commitment to these artists of material has enabled many of them to feature in prestigious private collections and public collections, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Art Institute of Chicago, the MAD-Musée des Arts décoratifs, and the Mobilier National in Paris.

Symbiosis

Whether they are French or working in France, the artists represented by Maison Parisienne all express themselves through a unique material: wood, ceramics, metal, paper, feather, textile, glass… They powerfully reveal its individuality, complexity, colourful nuances, rough edges, or sensual touch using tools and accessories that are often remarkably simple. Simone Pheulpin sculpts raw cotton with sewing pins, while Lilian Daubisse transforms corrugated cardboard with a cutter. Ten times, twenty times, a hundred times, the same gestures are repeated with no loss of concentration or inspiration. Patience is also not lacking, considering the 11-step process involved in the making of Juliette Clovis’s porcelain sculptures, before the meticulous patina and enamel finishes.

It takes strength and endurance to carve and transform a block of raw wood in the manner of Julian Schwarz, to blow and engrave glass like Gérald Vatrin, or to hammer and emboss copper like Hervé Wahlen, all while maintaining the intrinsic density of the material.

Artistic Languages

Beyond technical dexterity, the artists represented by Maison Parisienne combine aesthetic vision and a spirit of exploration. They constantly push the limits of their medium to create new forms, such as the wood ribbons of Pierre Renart, whose motions seem infinite. The element of surprise evolves into optical illusion: through winding and twisting, Aude Franjou transforms linen into a millennia-old vine, while Valérie Jolly gives tissue paper the nobility of alabaster.

The repertoire of forms is immense because the artists enjoy total freedom of expression, encouraged by an ongoing dialogue with Florence Guillier Bernard. Multiple generations and diverse backgrounds coexist. Sublimating the feather, Julien Vermeulen moves between fashion and sculpture. Gérald Vatrin, on the other hand, explores glass as he explores the world, revealing astonishing visual and tactile sensations.

Furniture, light sculptures, decorative objects, wall works — maison parisienne’s collections consist of unique pieces or limited editions, and, of course, commissioned creations. This rarity defines the founder’s vision of luxury – a subtle combination of boldness, quality, and timelessness.

Florence Guillier Bernard’s curatorial work is recognised by numerous private collectors and public institutions. Works by artists such as Simone Pheulpin, Pierre Renart, Hervé Wahlen, and Gérald Vatrin, among others, are featured in the permanent collections of the MAD-Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, the Mobilier National, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Dutch National Glass Museum in Leerdam, the Netherlands.

Historic

The exceptional creations in the 15th anniversary celebration will be showcased at the Hall des Maréchaux, a historic and relatively hidden setting within the MAD – Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The venue is particularly fitting as six material artists represented by Maison Parisienne (Simone Pheulpin, Pierre Renart, Gérald Vatrin, Aurélie Mathigot, Julien Vermeulen, and Patricia Lemaire) feature in the institution’s permanent collections.

The museum installation will unveil artworks with distinctive dimensions and techniques, showcasing the creativity of each artist in harmony with the grandeur of the venue.

To complement the exhibition, Florence Guillier Bernard has commissioned a book in which each of the 15 works will be accompanied by a text written by a personality from the art world. Published by Gourcuff-Gradenigo editions, the book will feature a foreword by Olivier Gabet, director of the Department of Decorative Arts at the Louvre Museum, and a lengthy interview with Florence Guillier Bernard by journalist Valérie Expert will trace the genesis and success of this unique artistic venture.