The Workshop

The Workshop is a unique creative hub just outside Paris dedicated to artistic production and collaboration between artists, designers and artisans.

Set within a vast, reimagined industrial printing plant, this extraordinary 8,000 sq. m facility in the commune of Mitry-Mory is the beating heart of Carpenters Workshop Gallery's ecosystem, where cutting-edge research and innovation converge to produce new contemporary artworks with the highest levels of craftsmanship.

The Workshop's studios provide artists, designers, mechanics and craftspeople with unparalleled opportunities to experiment with new materials, processes and technologies. Carpenters’ on-site team of approximately 20 craftspeople specialises in disciplines such as wax, metal casting, patination, woodwork and restoration.

In the wax workshops, wax models — often the starting point of an artist's or designer's pieces — are produced for shipment to foundries, where they are transformed into metal sculptures through the lost-wax casting method. In the metal workshop, craftspeople specialising in aluminium, bronze and other metals undertake cutting, preparation, welding and surfacing.

The patination workshop houses specialists in applying hot and cold patinas onto materials like bronze, for the delicate task of modifying their colour to the exact requirements and nuances of the artist's creative vision. In the wood and parchment workshop, wood is crafted and treated to produce a range of aesthetic effects according to the need of an artwork, while parchment finishes handcrafted from goatskin are also applied onto a range of sculptural and functional pieces.

In the meticulous area of restoration, our resident expert draws on deep expertise across diverse and complex materials to masterfully restore contemporary and historical works produced and sold by the gallery, as well as other works belonging to clients that require repair or perfecting. Additional services such as fabric production, upholstery, scanning and 3D printing also operate at The Workshop.

All these artisans' expert knowledge and insights play a crucial role in aiding artists' creative processes, supporting the diverse artistic output emerging from The Workshop, with resulting works forming part of Carpenters’ programming and portfolio.

Training opportunities nurture young practitioners in various disciplines, passing down generational knowledge and preserving the traditions of these crafts. The Workshop therefore champions the development and preservation of specialist creative trades, reflecting Carpenters’ commitment to the intersection between art, design and craftsmanship.