Born in Lyon, Laure JULIEN entered the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris in 2017, where she chose garment design as her specialization and a means of experimenting with themes linking the body, objects and clothing.
Eager to create a strong link between form and material, Laure JULIEN experiments with a wide range of techniques and materials, enabling her to create pieces at the crossroads of accessory, garment and sculpture, while embracing an ecology of means, materials, recycling, reuse of offcuts, and through reversible, modular and genderfluid design processes.
She studied and experimented in Japan for two years as part of a double Master's degree with Bunka Gakuen in Tokyo. Having fallen under the spell of Japanese culture and its wealth of craftsmanship and artistic expression, she began researching Japanese bamboo basketry.
Her strong ties with local bamboo craftsmen led to an apprenticeship with Tanaka KYOKUSHO, an artist who received the Emperor's Distinction for his exceptional craftsmanship.
Immersed in the Japanese mountains, this specialized training enabled Laure JULIEN to acquire the essential techniques of the craft. This apprenticeship places her in a practice similar to that of Japanese artists/craftsmen, with the specificity of being able to manipulate bamboo, leather, textiles, ceramics and other technical materials.
The singularity of her practice is much appreciated in Japan and France, enabling her to be selected for a major contemporary art festival, Atami Art Grant, as well as exhibiting in various venues and winning the second Grand Prix of the Terrasse Shonan Award.
Laure JULIEN is currently dedicated to researching and developing the use of French bamboo in order to make it more accessible to European designers, architects and engineers, and to promote French craftsmanship.
