Between poetry, light and wonder, Jean-Michel Othoniel has built a singular world where glass becomes emotion&nbsp;and beauty a form of resistance.

On the occasion of his exhibition Beauty Saves the World at the Wall House Museum in St Barth, the artist Jean-Michel Othoniel reflects on his journey, his relationship to light and his deep connection to the island. A conversation on art as re-enchantment, between intimacy, spirituality and the infinite.

L&rsquo;OFFICIEL: Since your beginnings in the 1990s, how would you describe the evolution of your artistic approach and the materials you explore?
JEAN-MICHEL OTHONIEL: My artistic path is like a journey. First, the passage from shadow to light, a quest for joy and wonder, but it is also a perpetual journey, discovering other forms of art and other countries. That is why I am very happy to come to St Barth once again. It is a very inspiring place for me, because I am very sensitive to light, to nature, and to the elements.

L&rsquo;O: What role does poetry play in your work, particularly in your use of glass and organic forms?
J-MO: Poetry is above all a choice of life, a way of being in the world, and of looking at others around you, but it is also a concise way of expression: it is creating a fast and striking image. And in that sense, glass is a material that must be worked on with intensity, without the opportunity for correction, and it&rsquo;s a material that lets itself be traversed by light and emotions.
L&rsquo;O: You have exhibited in prestigious places all over the world &mdash; what does international recognition represent for you?
J-MO: International recognition is an opportunity. For me, it is proof that my work is generous enough to embrace all cultures, religions, and aesthetics. What is complicated in art, for me, is to be completely French, particularly in my relationship to poetry and to language, with this idea of an art that links with the past, and at the same time to be totally international with an open work that speaks to everyone.

We need re-enchantment, we&nbsp;need wonder, not to escape the world, but to return to it stronger

L&rsquo;O: In your monumental exhibition Othoniel Cosmos or the Ghosts of Love, this year in Avignon, you presented more than 250 works spread across ten heritage sites. What do you retain from this exceptional experience?
J-MO: I realized through these exhibitions in the city of Avignon that the public in France today, and perhaps this is true on an international scale, need re-enchantment, need wonder. We need to escape for the duration of an exhibition, not to turn our backs on the world but, on the contrary, to recharge and feel stronger before we face again the hardships of our society.
L&rsquo;O: How did you conceive the relationship between your works and the spiritual and architectural history of this emblematic place?
J-MO: The spiritual in art is a very important notion, and I approached it through the prism of beauty. I think that beauty leads us to contemplation, to something that goes beyond us, something greater than us, which carries us and nourishes us.

Jean-Michel Othoniel

The spiritual,&nbsp;in art, is a&nbsp;very important notion, and I approached it through the prism&nbsp;of beauty.&nbsp;

L&rsquo;O: What personal or emotional connection do you have with the island of Saint-Barth&eacute;lemy?
J-MO: I discovered the island of St Barth out of season and I was immediately fascinated by the power of nature, by the great diversity of the flora, and by this feeling of being completely enveloped by the beauty of the vegetation. The fragility of the natural sites and the constantly changing light evoke for me the very nature of existence.

L&rsquo;O: Can you tell us about the piece you created for the Cheval Blanc hotel in Saint-Barth: how did it integrate into such a specific setting?
J-MO: The constellation of Pegasus, made of pink and mirrored glass pearls, located at the entrance of the Cheval Blanc hotel, pays tribute to what perhaps struck me most when arriving on the island. It is the immensity of the sky, the clarity with which one sees the stars, the fact of being overwhelmed by the universe, of feeling like a blade of straw in the ocean. I loved this feeling of direct connection with the constellations, and Pegasus is a constellation that represents the winged horse of our tales and legends. It was obvious to me that the white horse of St Barth was the one from our dreams. It is the first time I paid tribute to the cosmos in such a direct and poetic way.

L&rsquo;O: Your upcoming exhibition at the Wall House Museum marks an important step for contemporary art on the island: can you reveal its genesis?
J-MO: The exhibition was built in dialogue with the different curators of the place, and we always wanted, perhaps, to show the people of St Barth the artist behind The constellation of Pegasus by offering certain keys to my work which, in my opinion, will allow the curious to seek to know more.
L&rsquo;O: What works will be presented at Wall House? Can we expect new pieces or a continuity of your recent creations?
J-MO: The works presented reveal certain directions very present in my work, notably this relation to contemplation, gazing at flowers, the idea of infinity that one finds in the reflections in my mathematical knots, the beauty of light in the suspended Murano glass works, and also the graphic work (which is the genesis of my works). But above all, what is important for me is to affirm this relationship to beauty, and since the name of the place is in English, Wall House, I allowed myself to name this exhibition Beauty Saves the World. It is a message sent to the world like a bottle thrown into the sea.

L&rsquo;O: How do you hope the local and international public will resonate with your universe through this exhibition?
J-MO: I am very happy to be able to exhibit at this time of year when many visitors come to the island on vacation. It is a moment when it is easier to let oneself get lost in a poetic vision of the world, and my work requires a certain capacity for listening and for wonder. What better than a stay in St Barth for that!

Beauty Saves the World, exhibition until January 31st 2026
Wall House Museum &nbsp; | &nbsp; @musee_wallhouse
The Constellation of Pegasus, Permanent exhibition&nbsp;
Cheval Blanc St Barth &nbsp; | &nbsp; <a href="http://www.chevalblanc.com/">www.chevalblanc.com</a> &nbsp; | &nbsp; @chevalblancsaintbarth

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Interview by PHILIPPE COMBRES&nbsp; Photography by Jean-Philippe Robin
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