Maïlys Seydoux-Dumas transforms crumpled paper into luminous forests

Maïlys Seydoux-Dumas, born 1967 in Saumur, creates paintings on paper that she first wets, crumples, and flattens before applying oil paint. The resulting works, such as "Vert Millon" (2024), appear as dense, moving landscapes of forests and clearings when viewed up close, with alternating matte and glossy surfaces. Her technique is influenced by her training in printmaking at the École nationale des arts décoratifs in Paris (1993) and by the poet Jean Tardieu and sculptor Haïm Kern, with whom she collaborated in 2021. She also creates jewelry and tapestries, with a 2023 solo jewelry exhibition at Galerie MiniMasterpiece in Paris and a permanent installation "Forêts intérieures" at the neuro-oncology department of Hôpital Saint-Louis. In 2024, she had a solo show at Musée Michel Ciry in Varengeville-sur-Mer. Upcoming exhibitions include "Au fil des saisons" at Musée départemental Henri Matisse in Le Cateau-Cambrésis (July 11–September 12, 2026) and at Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier in Paris (until September 12, 2026). Her work evokes the luminosity of Pierre Bonnard but remains distinct through its materiality and relief.