Julien Vermeulen
French
Julien Vermeulen, a graduate of Lycée Octave Feuillet, the last bastion of French feather craft education, holds dual degrees in Fashion Design and Plastic Arts and Art Sciences. Since 2015, his skilled hands have crafted unique, handmade pieces for renowned fashion houses such as Yves Saint-Laurent, Dior, Givenchy, Cartier, Lanvin, Schiapparelli, and Dolce&Gabbana.
Under the representation of maison parisienne since 2020, Vermeulen debuted his artistic prowess at the "La Promenade du Collectionneur" exhibition in Hôtel Solvay, Brussels, in January 2020. Rooted in the timeless traditions of feather craft, he pushes the boundaries of his chosen medium, exploring its versatility in various artistic expressions.
Delving into innovative technical processes, Vermeulen transforms ostrich, peacock, goose, pheasant, and turkey feathers into panels, murals, decorative patterns, ornaments, and sculptures. Through meticulous techniques such as crimping, scorching, mounting, braiding, weaving, and sewing, he imbues each feather with new life, altering its texture, color, and shape.
In 2017, Vermeulen captivated audiences with his monumental artwork "Black Ocean" at the Palais de Tokyo's Espace Toguna in Paris. Covering a 20-square meter wall with over 12,000 meticulously hand-cut and hand-painted turkey feathers, this stunning creation took a mere fifteen days to complete—an astonishing feat recognized with the "Handcrafts—Exceptional Talents" Prize from the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation in 2018.
Vermeulen's masterpiece "Black Gem" secured its place in the permanent collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2021. Continuing his artistic journey, in 2022, he revisited his iconic console design within the framework of the "Les Aliénés" exhibition at the Mobilier National, adorning it with feathers and christening it "Eden."
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