With The Ash Tree, Aude Franjou introduces the Tree series, also referred to as the Tree Garment or Botanic series. This textile sculpture, composed of linen fibers wrapped around the trunk, was conceived as a second skin for the tree. Designed in multiple sections, each element follows the contours of its host before being assembled like a tailored garment. Over time, Franjou has extended this approach, creating increasingly monumental pieces that “dress” trees in sculptural form.
Franjou’s practice is a dialogue between intention and material. She begins with a structured vision but allows the fiber’s natural movement to shape the final form. Sometimes she directs the material with precision; at other times, she lets it follow its own path. This balance between control and spontaneity gave rise to a textile sculpture that seem to emerge organically from its environment, blurring the boundary between textile art and nature. ‣
‣ This textile sculpture’s color provokes a range of intense reactions. Some are drawn to the deep red hues, finding them bold and immersive. Others feel unsettled by the contrast between the organic forms and the striking color. While some see the sculpture as seamlessly integrated into the landscape, others perceive it as an intervention that disrupt the natural order. This multiplicity of responses is central to Aude Franjou’s work—it invites interpretation rather than dictating meaning.
Although conceived as garments for trees, these sculptures resist a singular reading. Aude Franjou welcomes the viewer’s perspective, allowing space for personal reflection. The Ash Tree is not merely an artwork; it is an encounter—one that shifts between presence and absence, nature and artifice, belonging and intrusion.