Bourrus explores
cities through the art of paper cutting
. From pocket globes
to large-scale installations
, her work blends artisanal craftsmanship
and a poetic vision
.
A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Charlotte's early research explored migration, geopolitics, and travel. Passionate about publishing, she draws inspiration from books, travel guides, and cartographic narratives.
It was through collage—described by Jacques Prévert as "a diversion of another's craftsmanship that says the same thing as poetry"—that she launched The Map in 2011. In 2020, the project evolved into Atelier Charlotte Bourrus, the creative studio to which she now devotes herself entirely.
There, she creates everything from deeply personal commissions to prestigious collaborations, guided by an insatiable curiosity and a singular artistic vision—poetic, exacting, and unmistakably her own.
A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Charlotte's early research explored migration, geopolitics, and travel. Passionate about publishing, she draws inspiration from books, travel guides, and cartographic narratives.
It was through collage—described by Jacques Prévert as "a diversion of another's craftsmanship that says the same thing as poetry"—that she launched The Map in 2011. In 2020, the project evolved into Atelier Charlotte Bourrus, the creative studio to which she now devotes herself entirely.
There, she creates everything from deeply personal commissions to prestigious collaborations, guided by an insatiable curiosity and a singular artistic vision—poetic, exacting, and unmistakably her own.
The Atelier
In Bidart, in the French Basque Country, Atelier Charlotte Bourrus is where each creation comes to life. Charlotte does not seek to reproduce cities exactly as they are. Instead, she gives form to their invisible essence—the atmosphere that defines them. Every creation begins with meticulous documentary research, drawing on historical maps, cadastral plans, and aerial photographs. Each element is then carefully drawn, cut by hand with a scalpel, and meticulously assembled, one piece at a time.
Working across every scale, these paper creations can be personalized and embrace collaboration without ever compromising their identity.
Whether created for private collectors, brands, or luxury houses, Charlotte offers not a fixed image destined to fade, but a living story—one that can evolve, unfold, and be told in endlessly different ways.
Albertine
2017 • One-of-a-kind piece. Created for the brand's summer window display in Biarritz.
Hermès
2026 • 100 × 160 cm • Creation of the two window displays for the Biarritz boutique to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Sabato
2019 • Belgian magazine • Visual creation for a special feature on Knokke.
Audemars Piguet
2021 • 200 × 300 mm • Series of 150 year-end globes. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Voyageurs du Monde (France) and Original Travel (UK) for the Steam Ship Sudan.
2026 • 250 × 230 × 140 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Albertine
2017 • One-of-a-kind piece. Created for the brand's summer window display in Biarritz.
Hermès
2026 • 100 × 160 cm • Creation of the two window displays for the Biarritz boutique to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Sabato
2019 • Belgian magazine • Visual creation for a special feature on Knokke.
Audemars Piguet
2021 • 200 × 300 mm • Series of 150 year-end globes. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Voyageurs du Monde (France) and Original Travel (UK) for the Steam Ship Sudan.
2026 • 250 × 230 × 140 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Charlotte reinterprets traditional cartography in three dimensions. Her paper dioramas explore the notions of territory, borders, and cultural heritage, bringing together the encyclopedic and the vernacular in deliberately anachronistic ways.
Each work begins with a meticulous process: mapping a place, then gathering visual references from books, archival documents, the internet, and personal photographs. Every element is printed, hand-cut, assembled, and pinned with precision. Beyond their decorative presence, Charlotte's work carries a political dimension—that of a traveller who seeks to understand the world in order to create a new one. Built through layers of fabric backdrops and hand-pinned paper elements, each composition unfolds as an imagined landscape in which the viewer becomes immersed, wandering at a scale of 1:10,000,000.
Every wall map is conceived as a bespoke commission and crafted as a one-of-a-kind piece
Bespoke Map
2025 • ⌀ 100 cm • This bespoke map was born from a long conversation with Claire. Entirely personalized, it was created to tell her story.
Africa
2013 • 500 × 500 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. A textile, historical, and musical exploration of the African continent.
The World
2023 • 1400 × 900 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. An interpretation of the world as a whole. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
The World 01
2018 • 1500 × 1200 mm • One-of-a-kind piece, on permanent display in the Travellers' Lounge at Voyageurs du Monde, Paris 75001. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Central Asia
2014 • 1250 × 850 × 100 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Brazil
2026 • 500 × 500 × 80 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Bespoke Map
2025 • ⌀ 100 cm • This bespoke map was born from a long conversation with Claire. Entirely personalized, it was created to tell her story.
Africa
2013 • 500 × 500 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. A textile, historical, and musical exploration of the African continent.
The World
2023 • 1400 × 900 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. An interpretation of the world as a whole. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
The World 01
2018 • 1500 × 1200 mm • One-of-a-kind piece, on permanent display in the Travellers' Lounge at Voyageurs du Monde, Paris 75001. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Central Asia
2014 • 1250 × 850 × 100 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
Brazil
2026 • 500 × 500 × 80 mm • One-of-a-kind piece. Printed paper, hand-cut and pinned onto foam board.
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in mind?
The Atelier creates bespoke works for brands, institutions, and cultural spaces. Let's talk about your project.
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Handcrafted creation
Made in France
Production time
2 to 3 week
Shipping
France, Europe, Worldwide
Tax benefits
Tax credit & reduced VAT
Handcrafted creation
Made in France
Production time
2 to 3 week
Shipping
France, Europe, Worldwide
Tax benefits
Tax credit & reduced VAT