Diptyque is extending the story behind its poetic wax garden installation by opening up Juliette Minchin’s studio process, and inviting visitors in Paris and London to experience “A Walk by Candlelight”, a temporary journey through a sculpted garden of wax inside the Maisons.
Wax Garden In Paris And London
At Maison Diptyque Paris, the wax garden forms the centerpiece of the ephemeral experience “A Walk by Candlelight”, running from 2 April to 11 June at 7 Rue Duphot, 75001 Paris, France. The space is described as an inspired and inspiring meeting place, welcoming exceptional guests and artistic collaborations throughout the year, with this installation striking “a stunning balance between wax and nature.”
In London, the same concept unfolds at Maison Diptyque London, 107 New Bond Street, W1S 1ED, where “A Walk by Candlelight” is open from 23 April to 8 June. Here too, the ephemeral space invites guests to wander through a garden of wax where Diptyque’s visual codes are reinterpreted through volume, light and material rather than solely through fragrance.
Inside Juliette Minchin’s Atelier
The “behind the scenes” narrative focuses on Juliette Minchin’s atelier, where the installation begins with drawings and research around sacred forms, rituals and transformation. From her studio just outside Paris, the artist, who has worked with candle making paraffin wax for several years, treats wax as a living, ambivalent material that can be smooth or wrinkled, firm or pliable, fragile yet enduring.
For the wax garden, early sketches evolve into hand cut petals and floral motifs, each element then dipped or infused in liquid wax to create layers of translucency and relief. Minchin explores several of her signature techniques: large wire structures in the four corners of the space are covered in wax drapery sculpted like leaves, while hybrid flowers seem to burst into bloom from their surfaces.
Promenade À La Bougie Walk By Candlelight
The installation, titled “Promenade à la bougie” (Walk by Candlelight), draws directly on Diptyque’s candle heritage, where wax has been a carrier of scent and craftsmanship since 1963. At the heart of the piece lies an “imaginary herbarium,” a structure covered in a layer of white wax using an ancestral dipping technique used in candle making, echoing the Maison’s own savoir faire.
As visitors move through the space, the wax panels, drapery and petals create shifting perspectives of opacity and light, as if the garden is slowly awakening under candlelight. This sense of movement and transformation resonates with Minchin’s wider practice, where large scale installations are sometimes activated by heat or flame so that wax melts, reveals underlying motifs or changes state over time.
A Poetic Balance Between Art, Nature And Scent
Official descriptions present the wax garden as “an invitation to wander through a poetic garden of wax” where Diptyque’s codes are “reinterpreted afresh.” The draped wax leaves, blooming hybrids and herbarium references all nod to nature, while remaining resolutely sculptural and architectural, bridging fine art and decorative installation.
By rooting the project in its Maisons on Rue Duphot and New Bond Street, Diptyque frames its boutiques as cultural destinations that combine perfumery, design and contemporary art, consistent with the brand’s Artist Editions and collaborations program. Visitors are encouraged not just to shop, but to linger, observe and experience the slow, contemplative atmosphere of a walk by candlelight in a wax garden that feels both fragile and timeless.
