Stéphanie Devaux: Where ink meets lace

In this episode, Sophie Edwards speaks with French artist Stéphanie Devaux about the quiet dialogue between writing and textile. Working across calligraphy, embroidery and artist books, Stéphanie transforms text into tactile form. She reflects on learning from rare books in Paris, the meditative rhythm of stitch and script, and the moment when ink and thread dissolve into one visual language.

Show Notes

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Build a strong foundation before pursuing creative freedom. Stéphanie explains that years spent studying historical calligraphy gave her the technical understanding needed to develop a personal and experimental visual language.

• Use repetition as a creative tool. The physical rhythm of writing and stitching can create a meditative state that helps sustain focus, deepen attention and extend time in the creative process.

• Translate ideas across materials. Stéphanie demonstrates how a concept – in her case, writing – can move between ink, thread, paper and fabric, opening new expressive possibilities within a practice.

• Allow ambiguity to invite the viewer in. By freeing text from strict legibility, Stéphanie creates space for interpretation, encouraging audiences to engage with emotion, gesture and visual rhythm rather than literal meaning.

• Design with all the senses in mind. Through artist books, Stéphanie integrates touch, movement, sound and material texture, showing how artwork can become a multi-sensory experience rather than only a visual one.

During the live interview, we shared some images of Stéphanie’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below. 

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Explore the images from this episode: