Charlotte Bourrus

The Map

Paper sculptor

©An Lalemant

©Kinda Break

©An Lalemant

Customised worlds

Charlotte is self-taught
She defines her work as visual anthropology
Her creations are colourful and detailed

Graphic designer turned artist, Charlotte Bourrus is fascinated by maps and the notion of territory. In her studio, she carries out a meticulous work of documentation, then cuts and glues elements representing her interpretation of a city or a country which she then encloses under a glass bell. It is an imaginary world that comes to life, with essential cultural references: characters, architecture, symbols. It all started around 2012, when returning from a trip, Charlotte had the idea of creating a 3D world map using cut-out paper elements. Today, Charlotte's workshop offers two types of services: the sale of globes representing very specific places, and a personalisation service to create bespoke globes on bespoke themes.

Interview

©An Lalemant

©Paul Fraysse

What do you like most about your craft?: Collecting an eclectic database everyday that I store and classify meticulously by continent, country or city.
Why did you choose this medium?: This medium allows me to express my thoughts on geography freely and get out of its austere façade. I can invent hybrid spaces and shed a new light on well-known streets, cities and countries.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: I work with paper, which is disappearing more and more from our daily lives. But I create a unique object that reads like the traditional snow globe, with many more stories inside, like a narrative greenhouse.
Do you train apprentices?: Yes. I like teamwork in the implementation and iconographic research phases. It is always interesting to share points of view. But I must confess that I like working alone for the actual creation of the pieces.

Charlotte Bourrus is a master artisan: she began her career in 2006 and she started teaching in 2012