LACQUER & ETCHING

SOLÈNE ROLLAND-HUCKEL

Solène Rolland-Huckel is an engraver and lacquer artist who founded L’Atelier de Salem in 2020, now based in Bischwiller, France. Her multidisciplinary practice began in childhood, when she was first introduced to flameworked glass by master glass artist Jean-Pierre Baquère. She later pursued her training at CERFAV before expanding into metalworking through the Rare and Exceptional Craft Skills Transmission Programme offered by FREMAA (Fédération des Métiers d’Art d’Alsace) in 2018.

Artistic craftsmanship is also a family heritage. Introduced to etching by her father, painter and engraver Aymery Rolland, and to lacquer by her mother, lacquer artist Nathalie Rolland-Huckel, Solène has developed her own approach combining colourful compositions, engraving and precious materials. She is also featured in the Homo Faber Guide and is a member of both FREMAA and Ateliers d’Art de France (AAF).

Inspired by nature and the artistic traditions of ancient cultures, her work explores colour, texture and the interaction of different materials. For the Rizières collection, she brings this expertise to miniature watch dials, building subtle chromatic depth through successive layers of lacquer and delicate hand-painted motifs enriched with gold powder.

Website

THE WORK BEHIND THE DIAL

THE ART OF LAYERED COLOUR

For these dials, Solène Rolland-Huckel explores the depth and richness of lacquer through a meticulous process of layering, texture, and hand-painted decoration.

Each creation begins with thin layers of transparent and coloured lacquer, carefully applied, cured, and refined to achieve subtle variations in colour and light. Textures are then developed across the surface, before delicate details are painted by hand using a mixture of lacquer and gold powder.

Finally, successive layers of transparent lacquer bring depth and harmony to the composition. A demanding process where patience, precision, and an intimate understanding of materials transform each dial into a miniature work of art.