Laurent Nicolas is a designer and multidisciplinary artist whose career began in 1993, marked by an inventive exploration of materials and techniques. Trained at ENSAAMA Olivier de Serres and ESAA Duperré in Paris, he founded his own design studio, specializing in the creation of objects, furniture, and interior designs. His approach relies on repurposing industrial materials to design unique pieces or limited series. He has collaborated with companies like Domeau & Pérès, Christophe Delcourt, and Ecart International, showcasing his creations in showrooms and fairs in France and internationally.
In parallel, he has worked in the fashion and luxury sector for over 20 years, collaborating with prestigious brands such as Louis Vuitton, Azzedine Alaïa, and Zimmermann to create accessories and custom objects. His projects in this sector have led him to design collections of bags and accessories, strengthening his expertise in high-end design.
Laurent Nicolas has also established himself as a plastic artist. His works, blending photography, drawing, and sculpture, are characterized by the hybridization of practices and meticulous attention to gesture. His personal exhibitions include “Does the Present Exist?” at the Maison des Arts de Châtillon in 2022 and “The Red Thread” in Roubaix in 2021. He has participated in collective exhibitions such as “Toucher Terre” at the Fondation Villa Datris in 2022, “Hand/Made” at an Italian gallery in 2022, and “Graah!” at the Lefèbvre & Fils Gallery in 2024, all held in France. He recently worked on two personal exhibition projects, one in Paris and the other in New York, in collaboration with the Lefèbvre & Fils Gallery.
A fundamental element of his work is ceramics. This material, both ancient and modern, allows him to explore a variety of textures and forms. Laurent Nicolas uses ceramics for its expressive potential, which provides a powerful metaphor for evoking themes of transformation and resilience. He incorporates ideas of territoriality and universality, creating works that establish connections between different cultures and human experiences.
Laurent Nicolas has been awarded the Grand Prize of the International Biennial of Contemporary Ceramics in Vallauris, demonstrating his impact in this field. His works are included in prestigious collections, with acquisitions by the Musée Magnelli in Vallauris, the Villa Datris Contemporary Art Foundation, and the Contemporary Art Fund of the city of Montreuil. Laurent Nicolas lives and works between France and Finland.
Visit Laurent Nicolas’ website and Instagram page.
Featured work
Selected works, 2021-2024
In his work, Laurent Nicolas does not hesitate to blend ceramics with a variety of other materials such as leather, wood, glass, metal, cork, and felt. This approach reflects his desire to explore interactions between different elements to better understand life and nature. He also delves into the concept of symbiosis, a mutually beneficial relationship between two organisms, which he transposes into his works. The external elements he incorporates into his sculptures, which he calls “graft supports,” literally complement or support his ceramic creations.
One of the most striking examples of this approach is his reinterpretation of the stool. A functional and universal object, the stool is a transcultural symbol that, in Laurent Nicolas’s sculptures, represents the relationship between humans and nature. This object, which finds its origins in natural forms such as stumps or stones, has acquired significant social importance in antiquity, where it was often associated with the powerful. By revisiting this object, Nicolas creates a link between the past and the present while evoking humanity’s place in nature.
Another facet of his work focuses on mushrooms, fascinating organisms for their ability to nourish, heal, and even poison. In his recent series, Laurent Nicolas draws inspiration from mycology, the science that studies fungi and their role in the ecosystem. Mushrooms symbolize symbiosis, capable of facilitating communication between trees and contributing to soil regeneration. They also play a role in spiritual and magical rituals, a theme that transcends eras and cultures.
Laurent Nicolas explores profound themes in his works, such as interconnectedness, hybridization, and symbiosis, through the hybridization of ceramics with other materials and the use of rope as a symbolic link. His artistic approach, enriched by varied influences, reflects his commitment to contemplating the interactions between human beings, nature, and the world around them. Thus, each work becomes an invitation to rethink our relationships with the environment and materials, urging us to envision a harmonious and sustainable coexistence.
