Meet Lélia Demoisy: the French sculptor taking the art world by storm
As I approach the gates of Maison Ruinart, a magnificent white Belle Epoque country house just outside Reims, I spot a cluster of construction workers, hoisting a curvilinear stainless-steel contraption into a pair of trees. Standing in their midst is a slight figure, clad in combat boots, cargo trousers and high vis, directing the operation.
This is Lélia Demoisy, the French sculptor who has recently brought her remarkable ingenuity to the home of the grande marque Champagne house – and is overseeing the installation of a striking creation designed to adorn its newly-opened gardens.
Demoisy has been steadily accruing a constellation of awards, commissions and collaborations – as well as the world’s attention – since her graduation from L’École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs de Paris in 2015. She has thrown herself into exploring our relationship with nature, channelling her lifelong passion for the living world into large-scale abstract sculptures and installations crafted from skilfully revived natural materials. Many have permanent homes in parks across France, including the King’s Kitchen Garden in Versailles. Now represented by the gallery By Lara Sedbon, she is one of eight recipients of the 2024 Franco-Italian Prix Carta Bianca, an initiative aiming to foster a dialogue between the worlds of art and health, and in July she was nominated for the Coal Prize, which supports artists working towards transformative environmental change.
"My aim is for people to understand how closely linked we are to nature," she says during a break in the installation process. "We’re not two separate entities." Her desire to understand this connection is what drives her and compels her to dive deep into her subject. "I immerse myself fully in my work," she emphasises. In practice, this means intensive reading (she devours works by French botanists such as Francis Hallé and Gilles Clément, as well as podcasts on botany) and stints of isolation in the great outdoors, including a week-long solo venture into the Canadian forest during a -25°C winter. This creative modus operandi captured the attention of Ruinart’s artistic director last year and Demoisy was selected to be one of 20 international artists whose artwork is displayed in the maison’s gardens, alongside sculptures by the likes of Nils Udo and Cornelia Konrads.
Threaded between two maple trees in a figure of eight, entre nous (‘between us’) is constructed from white pipes intertwined to represent tree roots and the interconnectedness of living beings. The artist lists the ways in which the plant kingdom alters the air, water and minerals – both for their own benefit and for ours. "We see nature as inert; a backdrop. I want it to take centre-stage," she says. "We should be treating it as a living being."
She explains how entre nous forms a halo, crowning the two trees, and speaks passionately about their interdependent relationship (they share the same mosses, lichens, mycelium, and root networks, providing vital support to one another). "There are so many intricate mechanisms at work that we’re unaware of," she says. "By bringing attention to the roots, I hope to raise the visibility of the hidden life of plants and trees."
Wood is her material of choice, but for entre nous she turned to steel for pragmatic reasons: "I wanted to get the shape right and I wanted it to last." In general, inspiration is drawn from the materials she finds on her walks and her ideas take shape from there. She is careful not to alter what she finds too much: "it’s important to me to protect its story."
Softly-spoken, contemplative and self-effacing, Demoisy is also tremendously driven. Une force tranquille, as the French say. She cuts a chic figure in a cinched wool trench coat, but glances wistfully at her discarded cargo trousers before the shoot begins and leaps gamely onto the scaffolding surrounding the installation when required, instantly appearing more at ease amongst the treetops. "I’ve always wanted to dedicate my life to nature," she says. "As a child, I spent all of my time outside." Now, every day is bookended with time in the fresh air – either in her garden or walking her dogs in the woods. "I spend a lot of time just watching and listening. I like to observe the small changes that happen as the seasons go by. I think everyone should do that." She hopes her work raises awareness of the fragility of nature and that it encourages people to do what they can to protect it. "If we just take time to learn the name of a tree or flower, it instantly becomes more important to us. It’s no longer an intangible concept that we feel disconnected from."
As for what’s next, she has her Carta Bianca project to finish this autumn, for which she is working with cancer patients in remission to connect the sound emitted by the human body with that of trees. Right now, she is busy putting every part of her favourite childhood cedar tree to use in her creation for the Coal Prize, after it was felled against her wishes. She is rarely short of projects. "I work on three to four sculptures at a time. I always have ideas in mind for the future."
The sun sinks below the horizon, pitching a rosy glow across the gardens, and Demoisy glances at the sky outside. "I hope that people see the garden a little differently now, as a complex network of living beings," she says. She turns to face me, revealing the huge cedar tree inked across her right bicep. "I want people to realise how precious nature is and how lucky we are to be in its presence."
‘Entre nous’ by Lélia Demoisy will be permanently on display from October in the Maison Ruinart gardens.
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