Callidus Guild is the vision of principal artist Yolande Milan Batteau, a trained and exhibited fine artist who brings decades of aesthetic and decorative skills to the studio. Batteau has honed her knowledge and physical mastery of hundreds of ancient materials and methods over the last 25 years, drawing inspiration from natural phenomena and artistic anthropologies alike. Batteau's surfaces involve pushing marble dust, encaustic, resin, leaf and micaceous powders beyond their historical limits. Internationally connected, her Brooklyn-based atelier maintains vital relationships with the creative community the world over.
The studio’s visual references are myriad and speak to the dynamic nature of its creations as well as the world of knowledge and skills that Batteau possesses: Belgian simplicity, French decadence, African complexity, Japanese refinement, and American bravado all come into play. This cross-cultural pollination gives the studio its international flair and sense of historical awareness.
A true visual alchemist, Batteau directs Callidus Guild to create magnificent small scale powder rooms and grand, opulent commercial spaces.
While each project is totally unique, key processes include tooling, embedding and manipulating classical materials to singular aesthetics that appear nowhere else.
Callidus Guild conceives, designs and installs surfaces and wallpapers for some of the world’s most illustrious clients. Known for an elevated, one-of-a-kind aesthetic - which incorporates plasters, precious metals and handmade paints - each project is imagined from scratch and tailored to clients’ exacting directions.
Batteau and her studio have created one-of-a-kind installations and wall treatments for a range of blue chip clients including Chanel, Tiffany & Co and Graff Diamonds. They have also lent their remarkable imprimatur to a number of homes throughout the world including several residences in Paris and New York.