The Studio

Paul Louis Duranton

Between art and science, Atelier P.L.D. creates ecosystem-landscapes: unique pieces (and some limited series) where invented rock, water, and vegetation compose living, demanding, and durable works.

Mission

Born from a dual background in marine biology and visual arts, the studio applies its mastery of water circuits, physico-chemical and biological balances, and sculpture to artistic expression. Nature remains the model: mangroves, reefs, Posidonia seagrass beds, marshes, mosses, and epiphytes nourish a perspective that seeks a sensitive truth. By playing with scale, forms, and materials, each work retains the self-evidence of reality while opening up a dreamlike space.

Manifesto & Ethics

  • Respect for Life: priority given to freshwater biotopes, limitation of exotic plants and animals, encouragement of regional and cultivated species.

  • Symbiosis: each creation stages cycles where the life of one supports the life of another; the viewer’s attachment becomes an active ecology.

  • Commitment: partnership with the Mauritius Marine Conservation Society focusing on reef protection, protected areas, and awareness.

Materials & Techniques

Lightweight upcycled structures (reclaimed polystyrene) mineralized with a fine mortar (sands, colored earths, resin) ensuring solidity, inertia, and chemical neutrality. Circuits and devices are integrated into the rock: studied hydrodynamics, trickles, waterfalls, precise lighting… Everything contributes to silence, legibility, and durability.