Gilles Combet
Teaching Artist
Staff Member since 2001
By Valerie Jenkins
Gilles Combet grew up in Paris and London during the 1970's. Taking art classes at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs while students were taking over the streets, he ended up dropping out of school, turning his back on a middle class upbringing and apprenticing himself to the Compagnons du Tour de France, an ancient craft guild dating back to the Middle Ages.
After learning the trade of roof carpentry, Combet traveled extensively in Europe. At the age of 18, he moved to Africa, where he eventually ended up living for six months in the Sahara desert with a family of Touareg nomads. This experience was pivotal in his life.
Upon his return to France, Combet pursued a 10-year career as a professional dancer, working with choreographer Karin Waehner and others. Dance eventually brought him to the United States.
Following a series of injuries, Combet went back to fine arts which he has been exploring ever since. He also taught high school students with special needs, took a degree in multimedia and web design, and worked as a graphic designer. Gilles Combet currently lives in San Francisco, where he teaches at Creativity Explored, an art center for artists with developmental disabilities.
You can view Gilles' website here: www.gillescombet.com
“I try to create unique objects that have the capacity to affect people in unexpected ways.”
