Portraits

Lucille Boitelle

 Ornamental Painter

Lucille Boitelle, an ornamental artist, speaks to us about her decorative art, where wallpapers, panoramic décors,
and fabrics come to life under her brush. She offers unique creations that blend tradition and innovation,
with each project telling a distinctive story.

What were the major milestones in your journey?

I grew up between Reims and Picardy, and I made this landscape, shaped by the Great War and deindustrialization, the territory of my explorations. It was an infinite time of observing, collecting, and drawing. As a resourceful and well-behaved child, I was allowed to explore the fields and forests, build huts, and carve small figurines out of limestone… So, quite naturally, I structured my studies around working with materials. I earned a diploma in applied arts and trained in both industrial and textile design. After living in Lille and Marseille, I moved to Paris for an internship with Kenzo as part of my final studies. I then worked in the weaving studio of Maison Pierre Frey, where, for almost five years, I learned from my peers how to create large-scale drawings, advocate for a collection, and perfect my use of colors. In 2017, I started my own business, driven by the desire to tell stories that were uniquely mine through signature décors that are resolutely modern and hand-painted.

Have furniture and decorative arts always been an obvious path for you?

Perhaps not an obvious one, but when I reflect on it today, I see how early it took root in my childhood. The stained glass by Chagall, Matisse’s Jazz series, the distinctive scent of turpentine, and my taste for Art Deco architecture… these have accompanied me for a long time! These are things one cultivates unconsciously until the day when everything aligns. On that day, it becomes clear that there is no other world where I would rather deploy my practice than this one.

What drives you in your work as an ornamental painter?

Spontaneously, I think of the joy I feel in constantly telling new stories! But many ideas come to mind, and I also think of the pleasure I get from deepening my subjects by spending time in museums and libraries. I think of the unique “hand” technique, the way the paint stretches, the play with transparency, and the satisfaction of those long, solitary hours spent painting. I think of the focus it requires, how you hold your breath when you place your brush on the paper, and how alive you feel when you doubt, but eventually succeed in creating that piece. Then there is the charm of studio meetings, where I mix collection presentations with a multitude of sketches or future projects… I continuously shape this profession according to my desires and encounters—it’s an incredible wealth!

You have a very special relationship with painting, color, and also with materials.
How do you approach drawing based on its final medium?

It’s a tricky question! In reality, the choice of the final medium—whether wallpaper, rugs, fabric, or any other material—rarely influences how I envision a design. What interests me above all is the narrative I offer to the client. I love being able to share the same vision for the decorative project, listening to their desires and aspirations, and seeing how we can create something truly unique together. The gestures in my painting, the colors I choose, the material or medium we select—all serve to embody this story with as much delicacy as possible. Technically, it requires adapting the design to the constraints of each material. To achieve this, I’ve developed a creative process inspired by animation techniques, where, like under a multi-plane camera, all elements are painted separately. Working this way allows me to push the limits of customization.

You have initiated collaborations with other artisans and materials.
Could you tell us more about this approach? With which artisan/artist from
Collection Latil would you like to collaborate?

The idea of doing everything alone, locked in our studios, seemed both frightening and limiting at one point. So, when I was preparing for my participation in the “RDV de la Matière” event in 2023, I took this opportunity to fully engage in a collaborative approach. I initiated the DIALOGUE project and invited three studios to work alongside me, focusing on their preferred materials: Studio Ler for enameled lava, Larsen for embroidery, and Studio Audrey B  for leather marquetry. Based on the same design, this project was an invitation to “create together” and a way to combine our skills to bring the story deep into the material. As for the artists or artisans I’d love to collaborate with at Collection Latil: all of them! I’m insatiably curious and always eager to experiment with what I don’t know well enough! But if I had to choose two, I’d say Sonja de Monchy for her raku practice and the Manufacture Robert Four for tapestry. There’s something that fascinates me about the unpredictability of fire in raku and the way images are interpreted through thread.

Nabis painting, cinema… your sources of inspiration are abundant, your style eclectic yet very cohesive. What ties all your creations together?

I imagine that, even though the sources are as abundant as they are varied, they all feed into a definitively personal and embodied vision in one way or another. A reference only interests me because it says something about my own view of the world, about what moves me, amuses me, or makes me question things. Over time, certain subjects like gardens, dreams, the movement of the wind, certain colors, or certain materials have become a signature.

You mention stories, the tales your patterns tell.
What role does narration play in your work?

It’s the very essence of my work! Imagining stories allows me, every year, to breathe life into new collections and fully embody them. To me, each pattern, each panorama is a true small work of fiction, complete with its characters, its lights, its twists, and of course, its settings. Nothing delights me more than sharing these paper stories with my clients. They, in turn, complete them, make them their own, and see other things within them. In a collection or in an ensemble, the narrative becomes intertwined. I love the idea of a small story joining a larger one, and so on.

What types of collaborations do you offer your clients?
How do you support them?

My clientele is exclusively professional. With publishers such as Pierre Frey, Larsen, or Casamance, but also with architects like Studio Chloé Nègre, I work both by presenting personal collections and through custom projects. By supporting these teams over the long term, I commit my eye, my hand, and my heart to embedding the project in a unique identity, a story, a contemporary vision of decorative art.

What are your development focuses and aspirations?

From a creative standpoint, I’m always seeking new mediums to explore. Right now, I’d love to design a collection of rugs, imagine a series of enamelled vases, and paint very large panoramics… And for the first time, I’m also considering creating unique pieces, like small breakthroughs into inhabited spaces. From a more strategic perspective, I’d like to expand my activity internationally, particularly in the English and American markets.

How did you first encounter Collection Latil, and why did you decide to join?

I met Olivia at the “Les Rendez-vous de la Matière” fair, and I vividly remember being deeply moved by her gentleness and expertise. We quickly met again at the studio, and it was fascinating. Joining Collection Latil, for me, is about choosing a trusted team to help develop my business, one with incredible energy and the potential for exciting new synergies.

Photos Atelier –  ©Alexis Vettoretti

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