Elvire Debitus

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as an artist.

My name is Elvire Debitus, I am 34 years old, and I am a visual artist and tapestry weaver from France, living in Brittany in the middle of the countryside with my partner and our son. My artistic path has not been very linear. I first graduated in environmental law at the Sorbonne, with a specialty in international law. I really enjoyed my studies, which taught me a lot, developed my critical thinking, and gave me a sense of responsibility toward the world around me. However, I quickly felt a ´call´ within myself that grew into a strong desire for freedom and curiosity, and the certainty that my path was elsewhere. I travelled for a long time with my partner, held many varied small jobs, and came to the realisation that my well being and the meaning of my work could only come from a manual practice where my ideas could take shape. It was from that moment on that I reconnected with the artistic part of myself, which I had quietened for years, and through perseverance (or stubbornness), I made it my work. I have been weaving for 8 years now, and I often feel that it is just beginning and that there is still so much to discover. Over the years, I refine my approach to my craft, I understand my motivations more clearly, and I see what carries me forward. I am also very interested in painting and do not forbid myself a few infidelities to tapestry weaving.

What first drew you to tapestry, and how did this medium become central to your artistic expression?

The tapestry found me at a time in my life when I wanted to reorient my professional path toward a manual practice that was more rooted in material and aligned with my personality and search for meaning. Tapestry brought together everything I was looking for and everything I felt was missing. I have always had a strong sensitivity to textiles, their textures, their colours, their possibilities. Intrigued by weaving, a technique I did not yet know, I began to weave in an improvised way one day in 2017 on a small homemade loom, and it was an instant connection. I have not been able to stop since. I am very drawn to the construction aspect of tapestry, the cerebral and very logical side of this art. It allows me to express, through a necessarily patient rhythm, what I want to bring out of myself and see take form through a multitude of colours and threads, while giving it a different presence through the tactile quality of the finished piece. It quickly became an evident path and a necessity.

Could you describe your creative process?

Images, atmospheres, music, and sensations live vividly in my mind and guide me. I am a very contemplative person, and I need time to soak in what surrounds me. Through tapestry weaving, I try to find a way to give these impressions a tangible presence. I work on small series in which I focus on colour, shape, and playful or decorative elements, as well as on more personal figurative pieces that require much more time. The subjects in my mind remain the same, yet the final expression shifts a lot between these two approaches. Since tapestry is a very time consuming technique, I often need to move between these different subjects to feel that my practice is complete and balanced. In my process, I use wool and cotton yarn spun in France, and I care deeply about preserving the know how of tapestry as I was taught at the Manufacture des Gobelins in Paris. I weave all my pieces entirely by hand on a classic vertical loom, just as it has been done for centuries. I appreciate how this knowledge moves at a rhythm that stands in quiet contrast to the pace of modern capitalist society.

Color and texture play a distinctive role in your work, often vibrant and nuanced. How do you develop your palettes and textures, and what draws you to certain combinations or tactile qualities?

The series of colourful tapestries usually comes to me as a lively and sudden desire. It is an opportunity to bring spontaneity back into my practice, which can sometimes feel restrained by its technical demands. I enjoy weaving complex subjects, but I also appreciate more minimalist ones, and I find the decorative power of a tapestry very compelling on its own. In my artistic process, I often begin with the evocation of a memory or moment, at the meeting point of place, time, and atmosphere, and I try to translate what I feel through colour associations. I am particularly drawn to natural and warm shades, set in contrast with more vibrant and confident tones. I also spend time searching for the shape that, through repetition, can support these reflections. Everything rests on balance.

When it comes to the tactile aspect of tapestry, how does the physical, hands-on process of weaving influence your happiness and well-being?

I really like the strong yet soft presence of tapestry. It feels reassuring and flexible at the same time. There is something beautiful in the way all these small stitches of yarn come together, solid and steady, like tiny molecules that hold and form a whole. What I love the most, and what fulfills me deeply, is losing myself in the gesture and its repetition. A good weaving session can have an incredible effect on my mental balance because it gives me the feeling that my hand knows exactly what to do without my mind needing to intervene, and that is very liberating. Moments like this are truly priceless.

Are there any new projects, themes, or directions you are currently exploring that feel particularly connected to your practice?

As photography has been an important part of my artistic practice for most of my life, I plan in the coming years to create a series of large tapestries based on photographs. It feels like the right way to explore this part of my work, which I have begun to share and which moves me deeply, like a long awaited encounter with something essential in my practice. Among other projects, I am currently beginning a new tapestry, the largest I have made so far, based on a photograph, with a strong focus on light and blur. I am very excited about this long term undertaking. I also have some professional opportunities coming up in the United States, which I look forward to exploring. It is a country that fascinates me for the imaginative space it opens and the way it nourishes my visual and artistic universe.

How can people engage more closely with your work, whether through your pieces, exhibitions, or online presence?

Exhibitions are already planned for next spring, including one abroad, although they are still a bit secret for now.

My website www.elviredebitus.com, along with my newsletter, and my Instagram page @elvire.debitus offer plenty of information while you wait to see my work in person.

Photos belong to Elvire.