Dewi Brunet

A fascination for folding

• Dewi started folding all sorts of materials in school as teenager
• He often works with machines and robots
• Plants are one of his sources of inspiration

Dewi Brunet started folding at 15 years old, in class. “I was lucky to dislike school,” he smiles. “This gave me plenty of time and paper for my early personal training.” He studied social science and urban planning, but the fascination for folding was too strong, and he could but follow this artistic path. “It is accessible yet full of potential: a simple sheet of paper can become anything. It is one of the only crafts where you generally do not add or remove anything from your material, you simply modify its structure.” His hands are his main tools, but Dewi also works with machines and robots. He collaborates with experts in other disciplines, such as textile designers, to make creations that fit in contexts as diverse as art, fashion, design, architecture and robotics. Plants are one of his major sources of inspiration.

Interview

©Claire-marie Régent

©All rights reserved

How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?

A large part of my work is carrying out research and inventing new creative processes, tools and machines for folding. I am also very curious about traditional techniques and ancient tools. Tradition and innovation go hand in hand for me.

What are the aspects of your work you love the most?

The freedom to dream and question in my own way the contemporary issues of our world. Sharing my knowhow and promoting the use of folding. Combining disciplines through collaborations with specialists in different domains allows me to discover new ways of thinking and making.

Are there any common misunderstandings about your work?

People often believe that I only work with paper, but I actually fold many materials. Textiles for example, but also plastics and biomaterials.

Could your craft be considered in danger?

I would say specifically that the pleating craft is in danger in Europe. Most of the European pleating artisans have closed their studio in the past decades. This craft was mostly passed on from master to apprentice and now many of the techniques, tools and processes are disappearing.

Dewi Brunet is a master artisan: he began his career in 2015 and he started teaching in 2015

Works

©Dewi Brunet

©Dewi Brunet

©Dewi Brunet

©Dewi Brunet

Where