Eric Boehm - FRANCE
“For nearly thirty years, Eric Boehm worked in the textile industry, holding several management positions within a company specialising in technical fibres and fabrics. Caught up in the whirlwind of fast tech, ephemerality, and disposability, he realised his need to rethink his profession, embracing a contrasting approach: the low-tech. Graduate of a textile engineering school, with a keen eye for art, materials, fashion, and design, Eric took the time to shape a career aligned with his experience and values. From his past in the textile industry, he drew lessons and combined them with his own artistic sensibility, creating a balanced whole that reflects his vision. He found his inspiration in ancestral techniques, in Kathmandu, the cradle of Tibetan hand-knotted stitch. This discovery naturally brought him closer to the values he champions today: respect for humanity and nature. By founding his publishing and design house specialising in « Velvet Mosaics », Eric Boehm juxtaposes ancestral know-how, innovation, human and environmental values. Dedicated body and soul to his project, he intends to disrupt established norms and change mindsets to convey a message of hope.
Eric Boehm chose to focus on nettle fibre. This wild material grows abundantly in the Kathmandu region, as it does throughout the world, even in the most hostile environments. It is described as "vegetable silk" for its softness, strength, and fineness. This fibre possesses numerous and remarkable qualities which, unlike petroleum-based and artificial materials, require no industrial processes and very little water to exist.
Borrowed from nature, the nettle fiber and plants that form the basis of the vegetable dyes used in these precious rugs evolve with the seasons, offering changing colors and varied shades.
Through his encounters with interior designers and collaborations with painters and visual artists, Éric Boehm's creations spark curiosity. The beauty of the graphics, the quality and precision of the entirely handmade work, and the sheer enchantment of the pieces from the very first touch are all part of the experience.
At XTANT, the publishing house E.BOEHM - Art Textile will exhibit three immersive textile works created from paintings by the artist Xavier Deshoulières. The triptych represents a bold interpretation of the art of Tibetan knotting and nettle silk.”
- From E.BOEHM