French painter Claire Tabouret has been selected to design new contemporary stained glass windows for the newly renovated Notre Dame Cathedral.
The decision comes as part of a competition hosted by the French Ministry of Culture, which screened 110 artists before narrowing the field to eight finalists. The artist was chosen by a committee comprising 20 members, including conservators, artists, as well as representatives from the Paris diocese and the French Ministry of Culture. Other finalists included French painter Daniel Buren and France-based Chinese portraiture specialist Yan Pei-Ming.
Tabouret’s designs will undergo a six-month detailed study period before their fabrication, which is expected to take one and a half years. The installation of the stained glass windows is projected to be completed by the end of 2026.
To bring her vision to fruition, Tabouret will collaborate with the Reims-based glassmaking studio, Atelier Simon-Marq. The famed workshop was established in 1640, and has a history of working with several leading contemporary artists, including Marc Chagall and Joan Miró,
In a statement, Tabouret confirmed that the commission will be a “figurative work of art.”
“My work had been dedicated to figurative painting and personal subjects. I had reached a point in my life where I wanted to be of service to something bigger than me,” Tabouret said. “At first, I questioned if I was worthy. There’s a great deal of audacity in this commission, which will take place in a beloved and historic building. But you have to trust contemporary artists.”
She added: “In times like ours, marked by war, extreme division, and tension, this opportunity to use my art to promote unity through the theme of the Pentecost is a wonderful gesture of hope. This will be a figurative work of art, so that it can be understood, without explanation or label, by people from different cultures. The colors used will echo those of the architect. With the help of Atelier Simon-Marq, the goal will be to balance them so as not to distort the white light.”
Born in Pertuis, France in 1981, Tabouret studied at Cooper Union in New York and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, completing her education in 2006. She relocated to Los Angeles in 2015, where she currently lives and works. Since graduating, the artist has gained worldwide recognition for her evocative portraits of children—many of which are marked by a facial red scar-like mark.
Tabouret is co-represented by Almine Rech and Perrotin, both of which have mounted solo shows for the artists. Her evocative portraits were featured in The Holy See pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale. Her work has also been presented in shows at Night Gallery, and SADE Gallery, as well as at several prestigious institutions, including ICA Miami in 2023 and Musée Picasso in 2021.
The Notre Dame Cathedral reopened on December 7th, after the 861-year-old building was partially destroyed by a fire on April 15, 2019. Another contemporary addition to the cathedral comes from minimal liturgical furnishings designed by French designer Guillaume Bardet, who is currently featured in a solo exhibition at Paris’s Galerie kreo.
