A serious penchant for the genius of high fashion can inform the aesthetic eye of great artists. The debut collection of sumptuous obelisks and boxed baubles crafted from a painstaking fait à la main technique by the Thierry Mugler and Hermès designer turned sculptor Thomas Engelhart is a hard, jewel-toned testament to this.

Engelhart’s anticipated solo show, entitled Marble Paper Scissors, will be on view at the Greenwich Village-based art gallery and advisory EERDMANS from June 22 to July 28. An invite-only garden party is slated to kick off the artist’s inaugural exhibition on the summer solstice evening of June 21st at the cognoscenti-approved New York City establishment.

Nodding to the likes of esoteric 18th-century architecture, crystalline rock formations, and a mishmash of ancient Egyptian artifacts, Englehart’s not-so-miniature miniatures deftly imbue a minimalist motif strewn with many layers of history and geological references for the viewer to peel back and relish.

Engelhart details to us how his sculptures—although a creative outlet replete with personal meaning—were a rather coincidental byproduct of the ennui and isolation brought on by the CDC-enforced lockdowns enacted to help curtail the spread of Covid-19 in recent years.

As a focused artistic balm during uncertain times, the veritable antiquities the artist has built and painted by hand enabled the Studio Berçot and San Francisco Art Institute alumnus to cathartically channel a lifelong affinity for the classics into a fresher museum-worthy palette of original interior decor items that will soon be public-facing for the first time.

A fixture in the New York City and Paris intelligentsia, Engelhart has thoughtfully reimagined Pietra-dura inlay, silver-gilt reliquaries, and carved stone sarcophagi in a multiplicity of vibrant colorways for Marble Paper Scissors. The artist’s intention with the collection of architectural objects is to coax contemporary collectors to invest in thematically archaic art that’s simultaneously redolent of multi-pronged storytelling in exquisite modern designs, lending to the classical series a covetable edge.

“I am by nature a 3D person,” Engelhart says in earnest. “Why I was good at fashion (which entailed hands-on working with fabric). And it’s the same reason I feel that I am thriving as an artist since sculpting, like fashion design, comes to me so naturally.”

In addition to the sculptures, art lovers can expect to see a 40” by 60” sphere-topped mirror frame also designed by Engelhart towering over the topmost floor of the E 10th Street gallery where the pieces for Marble Paper Scissors will be showcased.

Read our nostalgic conversation with the burgeoning artist wherein we discuss an unbridled reflection on life as an expat in France, the elite cradles of the fashion world, and how both of these formative touchstones played a role in the inception of Engelhart’s antiquities amid the digital art boom when social distancing became a norm.

Thomas! Huge congrats to you on your debut solo exhibit. How, would you say, your formidable fashion career has influenced your recent undertaking as a sculptor?

When you’re an integral part of a critical operation like designing luxury clothing at important French labels, you constantly fire on all cylinders. I guess in this way, my stint at Mugler and Hermès has uniquely honed my attention to detail and instilled in me a strong work ethic. Certainly, as an artist perfection is the desired outcome of a project so these skills without question come in handy.

Where Hermès was a very functionality-based environment, Mugler was fantasy-based. And rather inadvertently, both of these features come together and are reflected in my art.

Was there a pivotal moment in your time as an expat when you decided to follow your path as a sculptor in the heart of New York City and see it through?

I honestly don’t think there was a point when I realized the transition was happening. The pivot from high fashion to sculptural art was entirely organic, which is what has made the unexpected yet fateful transition so special. In Paris, I was simply the fashion designer. It’s what I moved across the pond for and who I was meant to be in that chapter of life. This new, deeply personal endeavor was borne out of the pandemic in New York when I was fervently looking for something creative, enriching, and meaningful to get behind. Glad I gave my art a real shot.

Conceptually, how do antiques inspire the making of your architectural obelisks and boxes in the contemporary art landscape?

I love to look at antiques; that’s clear. I love observing ancient things. When you admire ancient artifacts you are, in weird ways, taking in reliquaries that have stood the test of time. Thus, you are riveted to the position of examining something that is a precious object in its own right. Either from its conception or promptly after the work has materialized. The Mona Lisa, for example, was never a scribble on a pack of matches.

It has always been a monumental painting evocative of immense depth that historians are still trying to decipher today. Looking to old things for inspiration always helps fuel clever ideas for my own creations. The whole process is rather emotive for me. But I always remember to have fun with the pieces I make. Doing so tends to effortlessly render the artwork a touch more contemporary, which, subsequently, heightens my appreciation for what I do as an artist.

A scholar friend of mine once said to me, “Great art is good art history.” The adage certainly rings true for your Marble Paper Scissors collection. What would you say are some of your favorite mediums to play with?

I use a shit ton of glue. I also like to incorporate a lot of cardboard, fine art papers, and an arsenal of fancy inks and brushes that I care about greatly. My favorite thing to do when on vacation is to track down obscure art stores and get my hands on rare supplies to add to the treasure trove.

Incroyable!

I assemble all of my fancy supplies and glue it all together, which is actually what I am doing right now for the mirror that will be mounted at the gallery while we’re on the phone!

Do you mean the storied-about mirror For EERDMANS? They are among my top three galleries.

Yes, for EERDMANS. What Emily does is incomparably authentic and at the same time the quintessence of cool. The space truly is one of the best there is. Walking onto the premises is like an instant throwback to how the New York art scene used to be and kind of isn’t anymore.

I catch myself droning on about how EERDMANS manages to retain the wistful charm of old New York without it ever being contrived or over-the-top. I have actually been curious about the production time of the pieces for your exhibition. Could you speak to that?

Certainly. Each object takes up to a week to produce. They’re admittedly super labor-intensive.

Wouldn't expect anything less. As an artist passionate about creating physical objects in true analog style, what’s your take on the newfangled digital art trend(s) in the Metaverse?

Girl, when you and I are talking in the Metaverse, I might consider it. I can’t even begin to unpack the juggernaut that is the shift to digital art. But I’ll say that you and I are physical beings. And I, for one, am not jumping into the explicitly virtual matrix anytime soon. I maintain a sacred connection to physical art forms based on how they can bring tangible pleasure, forge a deep connection to the subject, and divert your attention away from the drudgery of the day. It’s what I strive for in the sculptures I intricately make in the physical world.

Not entirely sure if intangible, nonphysical artforms can engender a synonymous impact. But I am open to the possibility though biased in my preferences.