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Alexandra
The creator of Atelier LeksArt
I want to bring the art and elegance of paper to the service of fashion and poetry.
With meticulousness and refinement, I fold, shape and varnish the paper to give life to unique creations.
The LeksArt workshop is imbued with my passion for Japan.
Having lived "the Japanese way", I am immersed in its culture, I have studied its traditional aesthetics and fashion.
In my workshop, I design unique jewelry for you that combines the finesse and delicacy of Japanese style.
Having a father who was a fashion designer, I have always been in the world of creation and fashion,So I wanted to learn all the assembly techniques from masters of tailoring.
My creations come straight from my imagination which is nourished by Japanese prints, tradition, stories and legends.
I always start with a drawing then with the paper which will open up the assembly ideas.
In Japan, the container is as important as the content and the packaging is always very careful, which is why I offer precious and unique packaging for each of my creations.
I take particular care in creating my models and am responsive in preparing and shipping orders.
LeksArt Workshop
A creator at the service of Japanese poetry.
When the refinement of tradition meets the delicacy of the material...
How jewelry is made ?
Each material is chosen and selected with care, the WASHI paper coming directly from Japan.
Each charm, whether origami or paper cutout, is varnished and glazed 3 times. Which requires a lot of care to avoid softening the paper. Then, allow 24 hours of drying time between each coat of varnish. The creations are always in very limited series or unique pieces. Through my creations I share a lot of poetry with you and draw inspiration from Buddhism and Shintoism which are based on the worship of ancestors, the veneration of the Gods and respect for nature. I sit in the workshop, I immerse myself in this culture and its traditions and I imagine ornaments.
I also share jewelry collections that I have entirely designed and whose assembly is entrusted to workshops that shape stainless steel.
What is the Washi paper used to create the charms?
It is a paper handcrafted in Japan since the 7th century. It is most often made from mulberry bark. There are more than four hundred kinds of Washi paper, with varied patterns and colors, some are even classified as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. Washi paper is light, flexible and strong.
The graphics used on this paper are the same as on kimono fabrics.
The legend of a thousand cranes
On February 18, 2020, I reached the thousand cranes, 1006 exactly…
“The legend of the thousand cranes is a legend originating from Japan, where origami is widely practiced, which tells that if you fold a thousand paper cranes, you can see your wish for health, longevity, love or happiness granted.
This legend is today associated with a young Japanese girl: Sadako Sasaki.
As a child, she was exposed to radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and suffered from leukemia. Having heard the legend, she decided to fold a thousand cranes hoping that the gods, once the thousand cranes were folded, would allow her to heal. She made a total of 644 paper cranes. Sadako Sasaki died on October 25, 1955 at the age of twelve. She had folded her cranes with all the paper she could find, down to the labels on her medicine bottles.
Sadako's story had a profound impact on her friends and her class. To support her action and honor her memory, her classmates folded the remaining number of paper cranes and she was buried with a garland of a thousand cranes.
Today, in Hiroshima Peace Park, there stands a statue dedicated to the memory of Sadako and placed on a granite pedestal; she holds a golden crane in her open arms. At its base is this inscription: This is our cry. This is our prayer. To build world peace Every year, children around the world fold cranes and send them to Hiroshima. The origami are arranged around the statue. Thanks to Sadako, the paper crane has become an international symbol of Peace. Since then, it has become a tradition to fold a thousand paper cranes when a loved one or friend is seriously ill. Beyond superstition, this act provides courage and will to the patient, who thus feels surrounded. »