Valentine Herrenschmidt Renowned sculptor-calligrapher: Interviewed by Natacha Fazal-Karim
- Lifestyle
One Belvedere Tuscany welcomes French sculptor-calligrapher Valentine Herrenschmidt, known for transforming poetic words into elegant metal sculptures for refined interiors and cultural destinations. In this exclusive interview, conducted by Natacha Fazal-Karim, Valentine shares her artistic journey, philosophy, and the way her calligraphic sculptures resonate with the landscape, wineries, and slow-life spirit of Tuscany.
1. Could you share a little about your artistic journey?
I was born into a family of artists, in an environment where creation was a natural part of everyday life. As a teenager, poetry illuminated me and helped me find my place in the world. This love of language led me to acting; for ten years, I performed on Parisian stages, guided by text and interpretation. Another passion emerged: jewellery. I trained at the École de Bijouterie in Paris and created my first collection inspired by Picasso’s one-line drawings. Soon, words began to inhabit the material itself, revealing my true vocation as a sculptor-calligrapher.
2. How would you describe your signature style and creative process?
My style is defined by a sculpted handwriting, created from a single, continuous line of metal. This uninterrupted gesture conveys fluidity and simplicity while showcasing technical mastery. Through these calligraphic sculptures, I convey essential words, balancing poetry and visual strength. Most of my creations are commissioned, developed in dialogue with architects, designers, and exceptional spaces. Each project unfolds with attentive exchange: choosing the text, refining balance, and shaping its presence. My role is to translate intention faithfully, infusing it with my artistic handwriting to create a unique, site-specific piece.
3. Describe the atmosphere of your studio and how it shapes your work.
I live and work in Orléans, in a studio that also serves as a showroom. It is organized into distinct work areas, allowing freedom to move from idea to gesture. Poets’ quotes are pinned to the walls, while sculpted phrases act as mantras of positive energy. “Creativity is intelligence having fun,” said Einstein, a sentence that perfectly captures the studio’s spirit. Encounters with remarkable individuals also nourish my inspiration.
4. How would you describe your artistic philosophy?
My philosophy is simple: “to name is to bring into existence.” My work is rooted in sharing words that give meaning to life, words that connect us to the living world, nature, and the balance between intelligence and sensitivity. Words are my true material. My vocation is to make them visible, giving them form and presence so they can be felt as much as read.
5. Can you tell us about your creative process, from inspiration to the final piece?
Everything begins with reading a text. Sometimes a single sentence awakens an irresistible desire to share. In that moment, the work already exists in my mind, including its form, scale, and destination, whether framed, wall-mounted, or in a box of curiosities. Then comes the gesture: the sculpture is created in a single flow. Over time, I’ve developed virtuosity in shaping metal wire, translating words into form with speed and precision. Watching the text emerge line by line is deeply stimulating. Sculpture gives writing permanence, providing a way to make words endure.
6. What are your main sources of inspiration?
A sentence in a book, a poem by chance, or a radio interview, any word can resonate and spark a work. I am attentive to language in everyday life. Yet poetry resonates most deeply. It illuminates the mind and soothes anxiety. I extend this emotion into matter, giving words a visible and lasting form through calligraphic sculpture.
7. You discovered your vocation later in life. What inspired this path?
My love for words has always walked alongside a passion for materials. Highly manual by temperament, I explored different mediums before working with gold and silver and creating jewellery. After acting, I devoted myself to jewellery, but words still needed a home. When I realized I could transmit words through metal wire, everything became clear. My two passions, language and material, could finally unite, giving birth to my vocation as a sculptor-calligrapher, where meaning and gesture become one.
8. What message would you like to share with travellers seeking authentic art and culture in Tuscany?
Tuscany is a land of beauty and culture, inspiring artists for centuries. From Dante to Machiavelli, and the Italian Renaissance supported by the Medici, art here is a way of inhabiting the world. One Belvedere Tuscany embraces this heritage, offering a tradition of artistic hospitality where beauty is lived, contemplated, and shared. To echo the sculpture displayed in the Cantina:
“Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté, luxe, calme et volupté.”
“There — nothing but order and beauty dwell, Abundance, calm, and sensuous delight.”
Explore more of her work at www.valentineherrenschmidt.com or follow her journey on Instagram @valentineherrenschmidt.