Exhibitions in London (Belgian Embassy), the Palace of Versailles, Milan, Rome, Barcelona,
Montreal, Brussels, Rheims, Namur, Poitiers
Finalist of the Womenpreneur Awards 2023 · Sustainable Entrepreneur Award
Member of the La Spirale Art and Craft Centre
Certified Craft label since 2023
Artistic vision
I create a dialogue between wood and finesse, tradition and modernity.
Through contemporary marquetry, I assemble fragments of fine woods (walnut, maple, cherry…) and recycled wood, blending the gesture of handcrafting with laser cutting to compose artworks, marquetry wood jewelry, luxury boxes, and bespoke furniture pieces.
Inspired by Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and artists such as Alphonse Mucha, George Barbier, and Frances MacDonald MacNair, I seek to breathe movement and poetry into the material.
My art forms a bridge between past and present: it honours wood in all its richness, while exploring new horizons through today’s technologies and the treasures left behind by others. My creations carry messages of strength, courage, and hope, and invite us to reconnect with ourselves and with what truly matters.
Missions
To pass on
I share my passion for marquetry and woodworking by offering introductory workshops and starter kits (e.g., wood embroidery) that reconnect participants to slowness, craftsmanship, and hands-on creativity.
I regularly give marquetry demonstrations and collaborative workshops at craft fairs and during my exhibitions.
To collaborate
I build connections with other artists, craftsmen and craftswomen, and various disciplines to bring hybrid projects to life.
Collaborations are limitless because marquetry can be the medium for any type of illustration and can be applied to any kind of surface.
Before any collaboration, it is above all the human connection that determines whether a joint project is possible.
To innovate
I explore new paths by combining marquetry with other techniques such as engraving and laser cutting, embroidery, painting, gilding, and drawing. I create works from recycled materials and design unique pieces.
I develop alternatives by making pregnancy ultrasounds, personalized board game trays, customized musical instruments, and recycled furniture transformed into works of art — even a marquetry Tarot deck!
To convey emotions
I am convinced that art heals. We all carry wounds because we are human beings. Every moment, we do our best to be in harmony with ourselves, others, and the world.
My creations carry messages of kindness and shed light on certain shadows. They are meant to accompany anyone who is receptive to the vibrations created by my hands and brought to life in the material.
Values
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Respect and Upcycling of Materials: I use wood as much as possible from offcuts, damaged furniture, and recycled sources, transforming them into unique pieces. I take great care of the material to give it a new life. The wood offcuts come from the Diderot Institute in Brussels, Atelier l’Ad Hoc, donations, or damaged furniture.
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Eco-responsible: My process aims to reduce waste, extend the life of materials, and create without overconsumption.
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Transmission and Connection: My creations and collaborations aim to build bridges between disciplines, knowledge, and people.
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Art as a Source of Healing: I believe in art that repairs, unites, and comforts. My woodworking, through its shapes, lines, and patterns, seeks to convey positive energies and support each individual on their path.
Born in Rheims, France in 1989, Mylène Cave has lived many lives: musical director, conservatory prize winner in oboe, choir conductor, production manager in events, barista, and trained in free kinesiology. She has lived in France, Belgium, Canada, and the United Kingdom, always following her inner path.
In 2016, she changed her life and trained for four years at the Fine Woodworking School of Montreal where she perfected her traditional craftsmanship.
In Canada, she co-founded the Collectif Avoyage and joined Les Gaspilleurs, a collective of restorers of abandoned furniture. There, she met Audrey, and since March 2020, the two friends have been working on an ambitious project: creating the Ex-Libris Tarot deck in marquetry.
Passionate about innovation, she invents her own contemporary marquetry techniques: an art that blends recycled wood, laser cutting, and traditional craftsmanship, inspired by Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and artists like Mucha.
Based in Brussels and a member of the Craft Centre La Spirale, she creates decorative panels, marquetry jewelry, luxury boxes, and unique pieces that give new life to materials.
Her work has been exhibited at the Château de Versailles, in London at the Belgian Embassy — where Sarah Mucha personally came to discover her works paying tribute to Alphonse Mucha — as well as in Milan, Barcelona, Rome, Montreal, and Brussels.
Her creations connect eras, materials, and souls to convey messages of strength, hope, and light.
Presentation of Mylène CAVE
Interview conducted at the Château de Versailles