Jeanne Vicerial is a sculptor and costume designer whose work explores the representation of the human body through the lens of clothing and textiles. Her approach—rooted in a background in costume and design—is deeply shaped by her experience in fashion and her critical reflection on industrial textile production. Her practice is defined by an exploration of the relationships between anatomy, dramaturgy, and bodily transformation, all expressed through the unique technique she developed: tricotissage (knit-stitching).

Fashion as a Starting Point

“Fashion allows, in some way, for this indiscipline, this ability to navigate freely.”

Jeanne Vicerial’s training in costume and design greatly influenced her understanding of the body. Her early artistic references were rooted in fashion, with figures such as Alaïa, Fortuny, Issey Miyake, and Olivier Saillard. The influence of Madame Grès—a sculptor whose career turned toward fashion—is also notable. However, the collapse of the Rana Plaza in 2013 and the reading of Lidewij Edelkoort’s Anti-Fashion Manifesto, which proclaimed that fashion had become “sick,” pushed her to question industrial production and develop a more conceptual approach to clothing. She went on to create an “immaterial space” called the “Clinique Vestimentaire” (Garment Clinic). This reflection on clothing as a concept, rather than merely a product, became a pivotal moment in her artistic evolution. Although her initial prototypes were tied to fashion, she realized her work was not truly “wearable”—and this realization proved liberating.

Sculpture: A Liberating Artistic Expression

I don’t draw my sculptures in advance — I draw directly in three dimensions with my thread in space.”

Her residency at the Villa Medici marked a major turning point. Surrounded by established artists who did not question the choice of medium, she began using her knit-stitching technique to clothe the park’s sculptures. This experience led to a decisive shift toward sculpture as her main medium in 2019. She now works directly in three dimensions, using thread as a drawing tool. Her sculptures—often inspired by depictions of the female body in art history (such as the “wet-draped Venus”)—are designed as armors, as presences, responding to the violence of certain traditional representations. She creates “garment-organs” (head, torso, lower body), assembling them like molds, blending muscular, organic, and epidermal forms, sometimes incorporating vegetal elements. The process, long and meticulous (ranging from 300 to 2,000 hours per piece), induces a modified state of consciousness—almost a trance.

Art as an Exploration of Metamorphosis

“It’s actually quite violent, of course, to see these representations of the female body throughout art history.”

The exhibition “Nymphose” lies at the heart of her current artistic approach. It explores metamorphosis, bodily transformation, and material change, inspired by the nymph life cycle. The sculptures—often hybrid (insects, flowers, human bodies)—embody transitional states, combining rigid elements (such as metal, introduced for the first time in Nymphose) with the fluidity of thread. The show addresses themes of lineage, gestation, craft heritage, and artistic metamorphosis. The artist draws inspiration from figures like Pierre Soulages, and collaborates with artisans such as Hubert Barrère for embroidery. She examines the interior and exterior of the body, visibility and invisibility, the sexualization of the female body, and the representation of menstrual blood, often hidden or considered “dirty.”

Materials and Thread: A Defining Signature

For Jeanne Vicerial, material is a space of renewal—allowing for constant transformation and exploration. Thread is her principal material, usually monochromatic (black or white), and often used as monofilament to minimize waste. She works with threads of various thicknesses, from the finest to the thickest (up to 5 mm). Recently, she has incorporated metal (copper and brass). Flowers, either fresh or dried, introduce touches of natural color—a palette she prefers over artificial dyes. Light and reflection also play a key role in her work, particularly evident in an exhibition dialoguing with Pierre Soulages’ Outrenoir series.

“Material, for me, is the place where I can renew myself.”

Jeanne Vicerial’s work is a unique fusion of fashion, sculpture, and conceptual art. Her deeply personal and intellectually grounded approach explores the representation of the human body through an innovative knit-stitching technique and a visual language rich in symbols and references. Her practice is a testimony to ongoing research, a pushing of the medium’s boundaries, and a desire to give artistic voice to bodily and societal issues that are often overlooked or misrepresented.