Arnold d'Alger: portrait of a radiant artist
Although trained as a graphic designer, Arnold d’Alger is an artist by vocation. He left everything behind to pick up his brushes again and has never looked back. From vintage tableware adorned with gold to monumental murals at the Trianon Palace in Versailles, he uses his pen to create a world in which drawing reigns supreme and light is an obsession. Meet this free-spirited, radiant and unclassifiable creator, who opened the enchanted Atelier Grand Soleil in Paris’s 11th arrondissement just over a year ago.
From pixels to paintbrushes
Arnold d’Alger
A few years ago, Arnold d’Alger made a radical decision: to shut down his computer for good and pick up his brushes again. Having trained in graphic art and design, he had worked in the digital world for a long time, but eventually the urge to create with his hands took hold. This marked the start of an adventure he named Bazar d’Alger: a workshop dedicated to decoration, where he began by embellishing second-hand tableware on request. Each piece tells a story entrusted to him by his clients, which he translates into pen-drawn motifs enhanced with gold. Very quickly, plates were no longer enough. Arnold turned to tiles, and then to wall murals, seeking ever larger surfaces on which to express his rich inner world.
Drawing as a golden thread
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Asked what links tableware, earthenware tiles, gilded walls and ceramic objects, Arnold doesn’t hesitate: ‘The link between everything I create today is drawing.’ The medium matters little; what’s most important is imagining something from nothing, simply by drawing.” What fascinates him is the ability to create an entire world with a single stroke of the pen on a blank surface. This conviction has led him to work on the walls of the Waldorf Astoria, create bespoke collections for prestigious residences and design the visual identity of unique Parisian venues. Arnold draws as others breathe; it is an irrepressible, vital impulse that knows no format boundaries.
Versailles, gold and stars
Arnold d’Alger
Among his most memorable projects, the decoration of the Grand Gallery at the Trianon Palace in Versailles for the festive season occupies a special place in his heart. There, he created a world inspired by the fauna, flora, and history of the royal estate, featuring centuries-old oaks, majestic stags, and Marie Antoinette in her hoop skirt. The magical atmosphere is designed to come alive both by day and by night. This project reveals one of the secrets of his success: the trust placed in him by his clients, who allow him to work with complete freedom. The sun is a recurring motif in his work and the inspiration for the name of his studio. It has its roots in his childhood fascination with Louis XIV. Over the past six years, Arnold has been working with gold, coming to understand the true nature of his quest: “Above all, I was working with light rather than a material.”
Atelier Grand Soleil: an oasis in the heart of Paris
Atelier Grand Soleil – Arnold d’Alger
Atelier Grand Soleil, located at 8 Rue Édouard-Lockroy in the 11th arrondissement, is undoubtedly the project Arnold is most proud of. Born out of a meeting with the ceramicist Gaëlle Levray and years spent sketching in a corner of his apartment, this space finally matches his ambitions. Beneath its light-filled glass roof, visitors can try their hand at ceramics, including modelling, throwing and gilding, and the space hosts bespoke dinners, private events and collaborations with brands. Arnold designed this space as one would design a home, and visitors feel exactly that. It is not a shop or a gallery, but a haven where time slows down, right in the heart of Paris.
A free-spirited artist, a ray of sunshine
Arnold d’Alger does not claim to be part of the fine art scene. He defines himself as a practitioner of the applied arts: someone who creates visually beautiful things without necessarily intellectualising them. And that is precisely what makes him unique. His diary is bursting with eclectic projects, including a workshop for Fragonard, an exhibition in Menorca, window displays for Parisian fashion houses and commissions for private clients in Greece. He has many other collaborations still under wraps, too. When asked what he likes to hear people say about him, his answer is disarmingly simple: ‘I’m happy when people call me, when they come to find me, and when they tell me they love my work and want to see it expressed in a particular context.’ The rest matters little to him. Arnold moves forward, draws and illuminates, true to his lucky star.
Discover Atelier Grand Soleil and its world at grandsoleil.fr.
