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Louis Barthélemy drawing at his worktable

Louis Barthélemy

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Biography

Preserving and reviving the traditional art crafts

Louis Barthélemy is a multidisciplinary artist and designer who divides his time between Marrakech, Cairo and Paris.

Triangular plaster panel with floral motifs by Louis Barthélemy, hung on the stained wall of a workshop
Louis BarthélemyWild Discus DiscourseIn the workshop

At the heart of his practice lies a deep commitment to preserving and reviving traditional art crafts. Louis does not simply collaborate with artisans from around the world: he also helps make their work known, protects their livelihoods and passes on their precious knowledge.

Circular plaster panel by Louis Barthélemy, palm trees and a seafront, green and yellow glass inlays, set on a light wooden base
Louis BarthélemySkyline HighjumpPlaster and coloured glass

After training in fashion design at Central Saint Martins in London, he began working at Dior as a scarf designer. He also created prints and scarves for Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci, then settled in Marrakech and started travelling the world. Egypt in particular, where he worked with traditional artisans in Cairo, in the Nile delta and in the town of Siwa. Further creative partnerships followed with artisans working in various materials in Morocco, Lebanon and Syria.

He likes to work with textile, plaster, glass and tapestry.

Trust in destiny, faith in friendship, an instinct for kindness and an appreciation of beauty are values I try to anchor in everything I create.
Louis Barthélemy
Works
Textile appliqué by Louis Barthélemy, two wrestlers braced against each other, pink and yellow bodies on a ground of yellow and black pools, brick-red backgroundLouis BarthélemyKhayamiya 1 | PushHand-appliquéd and hand-embroidered bazin on cotton canvasCairo, 2020, 125 × 90 cm, unique pieceExplore the artwork→Textile appliqué by Louis Barthélemy, two wrestlers locked in a hold, blue, green and ochre figures in front of a seaside villageLouis BarthélemyKhayamiya 13 | Crossed holdHand-appliquéd and hand-embroidered bazin on cotton canvasCairo, 2021, 85 × 60 cm, unique pieceExplore the artwork→Textile appliqué by Louis Barthélemy, two wrestlers training in front of a seafront, in pastel tones of pink, yellow and greenLouis BarthélemyKhayamiya 10 | Training on Yoff beachHand-appliquéd and hand-embroidered bazin on cotton canvasCairo, 2021, 123 × 90 cm, unique pieceExplore the artwork→Textile appliqué by Louis Barthélemy, two brothers standing side by side on a beach, one in terracotta, the other in ecru, against a pale blue skyLouis BarthélemyKhayamiya 12 | Two brothersHand-appliquéd and hand-embroidered bazin on cotton canvasCairo, 2021, 85 × 60 cm, unique pieceExplore the artwork→Octagonal plaster fresco by Louis Barthélemy, a tucked diver above a swimming pool lined with palm trees, blue and pink glass tesseraeLouis BarthélemyTuck Dive in Hockney BluesPlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glass145 × 96 cmExplore the artwork→Circular plaster panel by Louis Barthélemy, palm trees and a seafront, with glass inlaysLouis BarthélemySkyline HighjumpPlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glassDiameter 108 cmExplore the artwork→Plaster bas-relief by Louis Barthélemy, a diver and a crane, with coloured glass inlaysLouis BarthélemyDiving in Plaster wavesPlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glass107 × 74 cmExplore the artwork→Plaster fresco by Louis Barthélemy, three riders jumping fences in front of a brick wall, coloured glass tilesLouis BarthélemyHorseplayPlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glass107 × 72 cmExplore the artwork→Plaster fresco by Louis Barthélemy, a kayaker against a background of carved chevrons, blue and green glass lozengesLouis BarthélemyKayak CascadePlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glass107 × 72 cmExplore the artwork→Triangular plaster fresco by Louis Barthélemy, a javelin thrower among foliage, blue and green glass shardsLouis BarthélemyJavelin JetstreamPlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glassHeight 78 cmExplore the artwork→Triangular plaster fresco by Louis Barthélemy, a thrower between two palm trees beneath slanting lines, blue and green glass dropsLouis BarthélemyThrow and ThrivePlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glassHeight 83 cmExplore the artwork→Triangular plaster fresco by Louis Barthélemy, a discus thrower between two stylised plants beneath a chequered frieze, glass inlays, set on an oak baseLouis BarthélemyWild Discus DiscoursePlaster fresco inlaid with coloured glassHeight 83 cmExplore the artwork→Woven rattan bust by Louis Barthélemy, honey-toned, raffia rosettes stitched across the torso and a tasselled cord, set on a tawny plinthLouis BarthélemyRattan Bodies | Light rattanRattan sculpture embroidered with raffia, year and dimensions upon requestExplore the artwork→Woven rattan bust by Louis Barthélemy, brick-toned, pale raffia rosettes stitched across the torso and a raffia tassel, set on an orange plinthLouis BarthélemyRattan Bodies | Brown rattanRattan sculpture embroidered with raffia, year and dimensions upon requestExplore the artwork→Woven rattan bust by Louis Barthélemy, dark brown, matching rosettes stitched across the torso and a tassel, set on a cognac leather-clad plinthLouis BarthélemyRattan Bodies | Dark brown rattanRattan sculpture embroidered with raffia, year and dimensions upon requestExplore the artwork→
The workshop

The gesture before the work

Louis Barthélemy does not draw alone. Every piece grows out of a back and forth between the drawing and an artisan's hand: the cartoon comes before the cut, the sample before the cloth.

Black, lime, coral and magenta jacquard silks stacked in the workshop, LB monogram embroidered in redTextileJacquard silksStacked fabrics, workshop
A large pencil drawing on paper: a wrestler seen from behind, palm trees and fences, numbered for cuttingDrawingThe cartoonNumbered drawing, transferred before cutting
Basketry and raffia samples laid flat on a light ground, beside two brown boardsMaterialsBasketry swatchesWoven samples, research
The hands that make

The gesture, on film

The work takes shape, from the artist’s drawing to its making by master craftspeople. Two gestures on film that show this collaborative creation: here, the stitching of raffia and the carving of plaster.

BasketryThe rosetteRaffia stitched onto wicker20 seconds
PlasterThe chiselChisel-carving a bas-relief8 seconds
Career

Exhibitions

In Between BluesAblakassa, DaDa Marrakech, 1-54, Morocco2026
Dialogue Under the Tent: Egypt-MoroccoAbla Ababou Galerie, Rabat, Morocco2026
Recipe for Broken HeartsBukhara Biennial, Bukhara, Uzbekistan2025
Kings and Queens of AfricaLouvre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates2025
CarthagismeLamia Bousnina Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia2024
Hockney's Visions1-54, London, United Kingdom2024

Collaborations

The Kape2026
Emporio Sirenuse2025
Setchu2025
Sandro2024

Education

Bachelor (Hons) in Fashion DesignCentral Saint Martins, London, United Kingdom
The artisans

The artisan workshops

Louis does not simply collaborate with artisans from around the world: he helps make their work known and helps pass on their knowledge.

An artisan hand-sewing a large colourful appliqué piece on a Cairo rooftop, domes and minarets behindCairoThe appliquéHand sewing, on the rooftops
A woven wicker bust decorated with rosettes, on a plinth in a basketry workshopBasketryWicker bustWeaving and applied rosettes
A workshop hung with patterned tapestries, a gilded mannequin in the foreground, artisans at workWorkshopThe workroomTapestries and fitting
Resources

Go further

Louis's portfolioHis previous exhibitions
Acquisition

Enquire about works by Louis Barthélemy

We reply with the list of available works and their complete tombstones.

Enquire
Media
Textile, tapestry, plaster, glass, basketry
Workshops
Marrakech, Cairo, Paris
Exhibition
HEROES HAVE ROOTS BEYOND BORDERS, from 26 November 2026
Price
Upon request

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