Jeremy Aymard

Hello Jeremy, can you introduce yourself and explain your current practice?

My name is Jérémy Aymard, I am a Cabinetmaker-Designer, based in Marseille. My current practice is the result of a multidisciplinary career. A trained designer, I then moved towards the wood trades by obtaining the CAP of carpenter at the Compagnons. After 4 years of experience in carpentry and custom-made fitting workshops, I decided to launch myself as an independent by devoting myself exclusively to the realization of my creations.

Since 2023, I have been designing and creating unique or limited edition carved wooden objects and furniture, combining traditional know-how and contemporary technologies. This hybrid approach allows me to explore new fields of expression, creating bridges between design and craftsmanship.

Our Autumn Selection in which you are participating honors wood sculpture. Can you tell us about your relationship with this technique?

I started woodcarving as an autodidact in 2021, when I was still an employee. At that time, it was a way to create with few means. I started with a few second-hand gouges and scraps of recovered wood, thus developing my technique, perfecting my gestures and refining my understanding of the material. Then, what was a secondary passion grew, to the point of wanting to make it my main activity.

Much more than a simple technique, wood carving has become a real means of expression for me. It allows me to explore the material and shape forms instinctively. Faced with a piece of wood, I can give free rein to my imagination, everything can evolve along the way, nothing is fixed. What particularly appealed to me about wood carving is its tactile dimension: being in direct contact with the material, imprinting on the wood the mark of the tool guided by my hand, feeling the textures that spring forth under my fingers. All this is an integral part of my intimate relationship with this practice.

What is your working process when you carve wood?

My work process begins with a drawing phase. I explore on paper the shapes and silhouettes that I have in mind. I approach this stage as an exercise in automatic writing, with the aim of generating new ideas. I try to compose a language, in which the shapes are protagonists that dialogue with each other.

After selecting a piece of wood, I carry out a roughing-out step, either manually with a saw or digitally with a digital machining center. The use of modern technologies, such as computer-aided design and digital manufacturing, allows me to explore new possibilities in terms of shapes and to gain precision. However, I always make sure to keep a significant part of manual work in each piece.

I then continue at the workbench, where I work to sketch out a general volume from the previously cut shape. Then, as I go along, I refine the whole, to finally concentrate on the texture that I want to give to the finished piece. When I am working on a piece, I alternate between moments of intense concentration and pauses to take a step back. These moments of reflection allow me to evaluate the evolution of the sculpture from different angles and to adjust my vision if necessary. It is an iterative process where each stroke of the gouge can influence the final direction of the work.

Thus, sculpture is for me a constant dialogue between the initial idea and the material. Although I start with a drawing phase, I remain open to the possibilities that emerge during the creative process. This flexibility is essential, because wood has its own personality and can sometimes suggest unexpected directions.

The tool and the gesture are two important elements in wood carving. How do they resonate with you?

The tool and the gesture, to which I would add the material, make up the 3 inseparable elements of my practice. The selection of a piece of wood is the starting point for any new piece. Each species has its own characteristics, its grain, its density, its color, which make each piece unique. However, there is always a part of uncertainty when cutting the first blocks, because each piece of wood contains its share of surprises.

The tool also influences the final object by inspiring a particular shape or texture. Whether it is a gouge, a knife or a plane, each tool has its own use and leaves behind its passage a unique imprint on the wood. I like the idea that these marks tell a story, that of the encounter between the craftsman and the material. They become a kind of signature that testifies to the creative process. And then as a craftsman, I have a fascination for beautiful tools. I like to collect them, use them and take care of them so that they last a long time. Through practice, I have learned to develop a special relationship with my tools, so that they become an extension of my hand and my thoughts.

The gesture, for its part, makes the direct link between my intention and the material concretization. At first, my gestures were hesitant, then with experience, they became more assured and controlled. Armed with patience, I acquired the gestures over time, which makes them a precious heritage. There is also the repetition of the movements, which transports me at times into a meditative state, in a dance between my body, the tool and the wood. And then sometimes, it is the material and its imperfections that guide the gesture, which invites me to let go and show more spontaneity. It is often in these moments that the most interesting discoveries are born.

It is therefore this dialogue between the material, the tool and the gesture that gives each piece its unique and authentic character. I maintain a constantly evolving relationship with these 3 components, which pushes me to explore new processes and instruments, to broaden my range of expression.

As a designer and craftsman, what do you think sculpture brings from an aesthetic and/or functional point of view?

Above all, sculpture brings a sensory dimension to my creations. The sculpted textures create a visual manifestation, playing with the perception of the one who contemplates them. By creating reliefs and hollows, I influence the way light interacts with the object to produce various effects depending on the viewing angle. This adds a temporal dimension to my creations, which become alive and changing throughout the day.

Textured surfaces also invite touch, establishing an emotional connection between the object and the user. This tactile dimension also adds subtle ergonomic qualities. A slightly sculpted surface can provide a better grip, or create comfort zones for the user. It is a way of combining aesthetics with functionality, with objects that are not only beautiful to look at, but also pleasant to use.

Finally, it is a vector of transmission. I use sculpture as a means to express sensations and emotions that could not be evoked by purely functional forms. It is also a solution to preserve and reinvent traditional craft techniques. By combining these ancient, even primitive, skills with a contemporary approach, I imagine pieces that are both anchored in history and turned towards the future.

In short, sculpture brings an aesthetic richness and functional qualities to design, allowing the creation of more than just objects, unique experiences full of history and the promise of sensitive interactions.

Can you show us the pieces created for our Autumn Selection?

The candle holder is carved from a piece of oak that has been ebonized to obtain this deep black hue. Ebonization is a process used to obtain a black hue resulting from a chemical reaction between the tannin in the wood and iron acetate. Designed as a hybrid between the candle holder and the container, this piece allows for different uses depending on the seasons and desires. The pierced feet can thus accommodate 3 candles, which once lit gently reveal the sculpted surface and lead to a new perception of the object.

Concerning the series of walnut napkin rings, it is composed of 6 elements, designed as 6 unique pieces and allowing to distinguish the different guests. Each of the shapes has been patiently carved by hand. Here, the knife work gives a raw and organic aspect which gives the whole an almost primary dimension. This rudimentary appearance almost suggests that these objects could have been discovered on an archaeological excavation site. Their handling invites us to handle them meticulously and to feel their sculpted facets under our fingers.