Mosaïc according to Nathalie Brenza

Artistic encounter

Hello Nathalie,

We are delighted to welcome you to UzEssentiel.

Could you introduce yourself to our readers in a few words?

With a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a BTS in Business Quality Management, I decided to change careers at the age of 46.

Today, as a mosaic artist, I run SUD MOSAÏQUE, my workshop and shop in Caissargues, a stone's throw from Nîmes, which I bought in 2014 and where I trained in mosaic and glasswork (stained glass).

What are the main points of your training in mosaic and glasswork?

I took two courses in mosaic art:

- First, I trained with the mosaic artists who owned the SUD MOSAÏQUE workshop. Over a period of six months, they taught me various techniques: direct, indirect, three-dimensional, cutting all known materials, using all the tools, etc.

- Then with Véronique Juan (Mosaïschool), a master mosaicist trained at the school in Friuli (Italy) from 2016 to 2018. This training was based on traditional mosaic techniques, cutting with a hammer, working with colour in mosaics, and creating mosaic portraits.

I also trained in glassworking techniques, lead stained glass and the Tiffany technique at the International Stained Glass Centre in Chartres. I really enjoy using glass in my creations.

In 2025, I also took a 3D sculpture course with Stéphanie Chatelet (Fany Mosaïque) in order to be able to create supports for mosaics such as ornamental sculptures for outdoor use.

In fact, I am constantly learning from colleagues in order to expand and complement my skills. But I have never wanted to specialise, quite the contrary. I have always sought to work with all materials, both traditional (marble, travertine, natural stone, smalt, slate, etc.) and modern manufactured materials (enamel, porcelain stoneware, glass, etc.), to learn how to use all the tools of the trade so as never to limit myself to one style. My goal has always been to be able to create without being hindered by technique. Ultimately, I can create a mosaic in an antique (Roman, Byzantine) or contemporary style and offer a fresco, a pavement, a painting or a 3D sculpture.

You offer advice to amateurs and professionals. Tell us more about your courses...

For amateurs, I offer:

- For beginners: a 6-hour introductory day covering the different materials and tools available. I offer an introductory session on cutting with pliers and, finally, we cover the different stages of creating a mosaic by making a small mosaic.

- For people with some experience or at least a certain level of autonomy in using the tools, I offer an 8-hour workshop support package, either to try out a new technique or because the person has a project and is not sure how to approach it. At the end of the 8 hours, the person decides whether to sign up for another package or to continue on their own because they feel capable of doing everything independently.

- On request, I offer multi-day courses on a specific theme, with a quote provided.

- Finally, for people who are changing careers or looking to supplement their income, I offer professional training courses, including one that leads to a certificate, which is currently being renewed by France Compétences and is therefore eligible for CPF funding. The workshop has been officially registered as a training organisation since 2015 and has been QUALIOPI certified since December 2020.

These courses are based on mosaic techniques, the history of mosaics, workshop facilitation and glass mosaic work, to name just the main modules, and are based on programmes of around 450 hours.

The non-certification courses are flexible in terms of both programme and schedule.

You offer all the materials needed to create mosaics in your shop. Do you have a preference between the different materials, glass or backing? Do you adapt the base to your creations, or even create your own bases? Or is it the materials that give you ideas? In short, how does the creative process work?

I like marble and natural stone for their appearance and texture, smalt and Albertini glass for their colours, ceramic stoneware (Winckelmans) for their versatility, and glass for its play of colours and patterns.

As for the choice of materials and substrates, this is part of the creative process for any mosaic. I would add the choice of technique to that. It all depends on the mosaic's destination, both in terms of location and possible use.

As for the creative idea, it can come from an image, a landscape, an emotion, or even a material, its nature or its colour.

You also offer commissioned works. How does that work?

The client tells me about their idea or project. Either they already have a precise representation that I can use, or I propose a preliminary design that we refine together in terms of the drawing.

Then comes the choice of materials, the colour palette, the supports and the technique, which will depend on the location of the mosaic. Everything is costed in a quote.

The process is the same for creating a stained-glass window, as I sometimes make these too.

We mustn't forget your collaborations with other artists, such as the piece you were working on when we wrote this article. How does this kind of collaboration work, and what difficulties might you encounter?

It starts with a mosaic artist who is working on a personal project or with a public or private organisation and calls on the mosaic community, their network of colleagues, to help them. Specifications are provided: design, dimensions, type of materials, technique. Anyone who wants to can participate.

It is usually voluntary, but there are always one or more benefits: the pleasure of being part of a collective project, forging links and interacting with colleagues, a certain amount of exposure, communication.

There aren't really any difficulties, especially when things are clearly established from the outset. The network between colleagues is essential: in this type of project, you are usually invited because one of the participants knows you and calls on you.

A few years ago, I took part in the creation of a fresco covering a staircase in Permasens, a town in Germany, in 2019. The Volgreppe project was led by Isidora Paz Lopez. She called on the community of mosaic artists from around the world to create birds. She received nearly 100 of them, which she incorporated into decorations created by two teams of volunteer mosaic artists who came to support her in Germany. For my part, I created a blue tit. It is incorporated into the mural.

I also contributed to the latest book by Muriel Ligerot, mosaic artist and publisher of specialist mosaic books: L’art de recycler en mosaïque (The Art of Recycling in Mosaic) (2025), by creating a mosaic from recycled materials. It is featured in the book.

And today, I am participating in the Ecailles en pagaille project led by Caroline Cortes, with the agreement of the municipality of Trébeurden in the Côtes d'Armor.

We can regularly meet you at trade fairs, craft fairs (for example, we admired you creating a globe from polystyrene at the 2025 edition of the Journées des artisans d'art in Uzès...) and other cultural events. How do you manage your schedule?

Because part of my work is devoted to the shop and training, I am unfortunately unable to devote as much time to creating as I would like.

In addition, it is necessary to communicate, to show what we do, to spread the word about the wonderful profession of mosaic artist, which is why we participate in trade fairs.

Since last year, I have been trying to do as much as possible. But it is clear that every participation requires closing the workshop and a lot of logistical juggling.

These are choices. But I admit that in the coming years I would like to devote more time to creation.

Would you like to add a comment or detail?

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the creation of a new association at the beginning of 2026: ARMO (Association pour la valorisation de la mosaïque contemporaine), created by French mosaic artists who started from the observation that Contemporary mosaic deserves a prominent place in the French and international artistic landscape. However, this ancient art form struggles to find its legitimacy in the world of contemporary art...

The association was created to restore the prestige of mosaic art, to bring together a community of enthusiasts and to create concrete opportunities for artists and amateurs.

Despite its ancient origins, mosaic art is a living, innovative and meaningful art form, and it is important to promote it as such. This association is aimed at both amateurs and professionals. The project is as follows: 1) Create opportunities for everyone through commissions, training and a professional network. The aim is to promote access to work, skills development and exchanges between professionals throughout the country, visibility and influence, and the development of a national directory of professional mosaic artists.

2) Organise flagship events: exhibitions, biennials and artist residencies, but also set up targeted communication on social networks and in partnership with specialised media.

3) Obtain professional recognition through institutional advocacy to integrate mosaics into contemporary art fairs, action for the recognition of the status of mosaic artists, and legal support for administrative procedures and calls for projects. All information is available on the association's website.

Many thanks to Nathalie Brenza for the time dedicated to this article.

The address: Sud Mosaïque, 36 Place Marie Rose Pons, 30132 Caissargues. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Friday and Saturday from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Contact: Tel: 04 66 67 30 75, boutiquesudmosaique@gmail.com. Visit the Sud Mosaïque blog and the Sud Mosaïque.fr.