La Curieuse – Galearis Orchid Sculpture
Product Code: BES-SCU-02
- Quantity Available: 1
Description
La Curieuse is a botanical metal sculpture depicting the Galearis, a delicate orchid native to Quebec, rising from a slender forged steel stem.
- Recycled copper and silver alloy, and steel
- Forged stem and flower cast from natural material
- Dimensions: 2 × 2 × 11 in
- Created in 2026
A refined sculpture that captures the fragile beauty of Quebec’s wild flora in metal.
Creation process
Bénédicte Séguin’s creative process is nothing short of enchanting: she crafts jewelry from real flowers that she harvests herself, during quiet walks through nature.
Each plant is gently coated with a delicate layer of wax, capturing even its most subtle details. This wax form is then encased in plaster and consumed in the heat of the lost-wax casting process, giving way to a precious metal replica of striking fidelity. The resulting piece is shaped into jewelry and sometimes adorned with gemstones or freshwater pearls — like offerings to the gods of flora.
This technique is the fruit of countless hours of experimentation and devotion. Each piece begins with botanical quests that often end in disappointment, yet sharpen her eye and deepen her connection to the wild. Every jewel she creates is born of invisible time, a deep reverence for plant life, and the unyielding discipline of a true artisan.
The artist
Bénédcite Séguin
La Malbaie
Jeweler trained at the École des métiers d’art du Québec, I have been creating handmade pieces in my Charlevoix studios since 2006. My work draws on both the traditional techniques of jewelry-making and an intimate relationship with nature, deeply rooted in my personal journey.
Since 2009, I have focused my practice on casting real plants — flowers, native species, river algae — which I transform into sculptural jewelry. This process allows me to preserve the delicate imprint of a species, revealing its shape, texture, and singularity in precious metals such as silver or gold. This gesture has its origin in the herbariums I made as a child with my botanist mother, and has gradually evolved into a full-fledged artistic practice.
Each piece is conceived as a tribute to biodiversity — an object of contemplation that invites us to see the living world with renewed eyes. By capturing the ephemeral, I seek to highlight the fragile beauty of our environment and the urgency of its preservation. My creations carry within them a botanical memory, both aesthetic and symbolic.
Exhibited in Canada, the United States, and Japan, my work expresses a desire for dialogue between art, nature, and environmental commitment, while celebrating the richness of the Québec landscape.
