December 2025 | With Béatrice Serre

By coincidence, while preparing my dialogue with Béatrice, I stumbled upon another reference to Roger Caillois whom I dedicated my last November Diary entry to, but this time in the preface to her book Mosaïque: Le Champ des Possibles, which seemed perfectly fitting for the holiday season with its glorious colors, textures and festive appeal.

Caillois’ L’Écriture des Pierres recounts how in 19th-century China, artists would select marble slabs for their patterns, cut and frame them, then sign them as if they were their own works. These were called Dream Stones or Shih-Hua.

Béatrice works at the other end of this spectrum. Where nature gives us exquisite artworks, she channels the human mind through her expert hands in full creative force. In comparison to Chinese Dream Stones, I think of her work as Dream Mindscapes. Embankments, streams, whirlpools, and entire worlds revealed through the precise placement of a single tessera.

Her materials span the vast: precious stones, marbles, feathers, textiles, bark, seeds, spices, and more. Mirrors, tables, jewels, bas-reliefs, each piece becomes a unique cartography of earthly and cosmic journeys.

Her devotion, mastery, and years of experimentation have earned her recognition from the greatest galleries.

Béatrice may well be one of the most important mosaic female artist of our time so I was truly excited and honored to explore her vision through this conversation and to share it here with you:

Bonjour Béatrice, how are you and where are you today?

Hello Omar, I’m doing very well, from my workshop environment in the Oise at this precise moment.

Could you please tell us when, why and how you started working with mosaic?

I began learning mosaic art in 1991 at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers d’Art Olivier de Serres in Paris. I was immediately fascinated by stones, messengers of time, and all the possibilities for artistic expression in the future to sublimate them, whether flat or three-dimensional, like living entities to be celebrated. The technique of cutting and then “reassembling the pieces” immediately took on a particular meaning of universal resilience and quiet strength.

You often refer to your work as Cosmosaic, it’s a rather self-explanatory word but could you elaborate on the relationship between the cosmos and your work?

The Cosmos, Space, and the Universe have always captivated and intrigued me, ever since I was very young. I was always found with my eyes raised to the sky and my head in the clouds, contemplating the mysteries of the stars, the aurora borealis, and exoplanets. It was already a profound, celestial connection, like a calling and an infinite inspiration.

I first met you in New York where you were showing works with our beloved Victor Gastou. I had first become aware of your work in a spectacular Beirut apartment a few years back and so I approached you there with much admiration while noticing that you had a real following of fans who pay you visits on various salons. Are they collectors or students? How do you explain that following?

Yes, our meeting with Victor Gastou at the New York exhibition was very moving and spontaneous! People who appreciate my work often experience an emotional jolt, and that has always deeply affected me. I always create alone in my studio, and when the mosaics are suddenly displayed, there’s a sense of complete surprise and discovery.

I think it’s the presence of the minerals, their energies, fused together, which, with their modulated volumes, give off particular vibrations. The language of nature is a universal language; I am simply here to harmonize living mineral entities, and I am constantly amazed by their beauty and the possibilities of combining them without any limits. Each person’s emotional reaction is often the result of our own inner projection, transcending all criteria.

You teach the art of mosaic. Could you tell us where and how important it is for you to teach your craft?

For the past few years, I’ve been teaching mosaic jewelry exclusively, usually once a year in Italy for five days. These are international courses with INTHREE, which I created with two master mosaicists from Ravenna.

Next year, in 2026, I will begin a new initiative to train students and new professional mosaic collaborators. This will allow them to complete internships and explore techniques ranging from traditional hammer and chisel carving to the most contemporary methods. I believe this development will also enable help with large commissions in the workshop and provide knowledge of various mosaic techniques. Passing on knowledge is important and exciting for everyone involved!

I was honored to have a booth dedicated to my work by Galerie Gastou at the PAD Paris in 2025. You crafted a unique Egyptian mirror for the occasion. Do you remember it and what can you tell us about it?

I was so impressed by the quality and diversity of your creations. This Egyptian onyx is unique and somehow lives within you. Victor Gastou suggested I exhibit a mosaic piece alongside yours, and it was only natural for me to pay homage to your country (one of your countries), your history, and Egyptian symbolism, but above all, to be in harmony with your creations. Victor proposed a mirror with the theme of Ra, and what a joy it was in the studio to create it in your honor and surprise you. My greatest pleasure is being able to freely personalize each mosaic. Collaborating with a gallery owner who always allows creative freedom is extremely rare these days, and the Gastou Gallery excels in this freedom, which naturally inspires us to surpass ourselves. Ra will always be linked to you and to Egypt.

I’m sure it would be very difficult to choose a favorite piece, but could you name three of your favorites, their year of production and why they’re special to you?

For these three choices, I think:

Cosmos (2019) and Eternity (2020), bas-reliefs that complement each other in their symbolism and are very sentimental for their recipients.

(The Big Bang, Stellar Mirrors, and Terra Incognita Tables collections continue the cosmic journey.)

Art Deco Wall a monumental mosaic for the Cartier Mansion in New York, a monochrome of quartz crystals, marbles, travertines, and gold enamels (2022).

La Chilkat (2010), a mosaic that pays homage to the Tlingit people, representing a shaman’s cloak with the Bear totem. I am passionate about civilizations, and to this day, all continents are represented in works like a human mosaic. (Such as Quetzalcoatl, Navajo, or Aboriginal Dreaming, The Great Walk of the Sherpa…)

Your inner world seems to extend from your works to the way you present yourself to the public. I often comment on how your style reminds me of the fairy godmother in Jacques Demy’s iconic film Peau d’Âne. Your figure is one of a classic dancer while your face’s delicate beauty strangely mirrors that of your work. Would you be able to say how much of all that is orchestrated and conscious and how much is coincidental? Your fashion choices for example must be studied and deliberate considering they often clearly reference the colors and styles of some of your works?

Thank you so much, Omar. I’m very touched by your vision and your words about the extension of my artwork onto my outfits… It’s almost subconscious that the connection between the mosaics and me remains. But it’s true that when I was little, if people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would answer, “To be a fairy, because I could grant people’s wishes and make them happy.” I was so moved to have a fairy costume when I was only 5! I believe in magic; it’s everywhere!

I was also a dancer for 10 years.

You have traveled the world with your work, serving as a natural ambassador for French craftsmanship, have you visited the MENA region yet and how important do you think your cultural background is in regards to your work?

Yes, I’ve already worked in Lebanon and Tunisia with charities helping children I love so much! But I dream of exploring certain regions more deeply, especially the wide-open spaces that allow me to be awestruck by the natural beauty of the landscapes, but also to meet and connect with the locals, clients, and friends. The inspiration from different cultures is essential to the evolution of my work. All that’s missing is an encounter with UFOs and extraterrestrials!

Could you share what you’re currently working on?

I am currently working on a crystal planet for the first International Biennial of Mosaic Masters in Monreale, Sicily, which runs from December 19, 2025, to March 3, 2026.

This Thursday, December 5, at the Quai d’Orsay, I am exhibiting at the Grand Prix du Rayonnement Français, organized by the Princess de Murat under the patronage of Brigitte Macron.

Following that, in February, I will be exhibiting at the MAZE art fair in Gstaad with the Galerie Gastou.

How do you think your work had evolved since you began working professionally and how would you like to continue to grow in the future?

For all these years, I have constantly explored the possibilities of mosaic. It is the quintessential art of resilience and inner healing, but also one that can be approached and understood from multiple perspectives and levels. It is an immersion in time with these minerals dating back millions of years; this must be respected when I create, becoming aware of the treasures of life that I hold in my hands. My journey to this day is constantly evolving, and the future is already taking shape with very futuristic projects, combining new technologies with this ancestral art. Everything is yet to be imagined, and when I think about the power that mosaic exudes, and all its poetry, I tell myself that all styles are worth exploring. Mosaic is universal and accessible to all; it guides me so that I never forget that we are all one.

Rapid Round:

Favorite Film

Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey

Favorite song

The Great Gig In The Sky – Pink Floyd

Favorite painting

Mother Nature

Favorite book

A new travel book/

Mosaïque: Le Champs Des Possibles, Béatrice Serre

Favorite city

Earth