A Portrait in Concrete and Light
I have long been drawn to artists who wrestle industrial materials into poetry. James Dewulf is one of those rare figures who makes concrete feel like silk. A Los Angeles-based artist and designer born on March 20, 1976, he is best known for sculptural furnishings that merge concrete with bronze, brass, steel, stainless steel, and iron. His pieces often nod to natural architectures, from microscopic ocean exoskeletons to the mathematical rhythms of Fibonacci. He calls it concrete couture. I call it a signature that sticks.
The public record on Dewulf is focused, almost minimalist, in the way his work can be. The spotlight hits the studio more than the home. That feels deliberate. His profile revolves around craft, process, and exhibitions, and it leaves just enough mystery to keep the narrative interesting.
Early Years and Education
Dewulf grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, even though his hometown is often listed as Paia, Hawaii. He studied economics at Emory University with a minor in business, a foundation that taught him how markets breathe and how risk behaves. In his late teens, summers in France connected him with extended family and gave him a second atmosphere to live in. He talks about family as a source of creative DNA, a thread that runs back to a great-great-grandfather who forged massive metal sculptures. Those stories matter. They are the seeds artists carry when they step into the studio.
His father, whose name he keeps private, grew up on a farm in Mormont, one of nine siblings. The farm life and the swarm of relatives shaped a respect for making things. The paternal grandmother shared the family history like a lantern in a dark loft, illuminating a generational lineage of fabrication and design. His mother, Vicky Dewulf, a sweet southern belle from Texas, is described as his daily touchpoint. He speaks to her every day. That detail says more about the man than most biographies could.
The Pivot from Finance to Fabrication
After Emory, Dewulf moved into investment banking in Atlanta. Then the markets collapsed in 2001 and gravity had its say. He lost his savings, and with that loss came a turning. He shifted to real estate development, renovating properties in neighborhoods like Little Five Points. This was not just survival. It was a slow apprenticeship in materials and construction, a tactile education you cannot get from spreadsheets.
Around 2007 to 2008, he discovered concrete in a way that felt like a calling. Not as a sidewalk or a foundation, but as a medium with a mind of its own. He started with countertops and installations, then refined his process, pushing thicknesses thinner and thinner until three-quarter-inch tops became a reality after years of trial and error. He founded De Wulf Concrete and began serving a client list that reads like a gallery of bold names, all while keeping an engineer’s discipline and an artist’s curiosity.
International Chapters and Los Angeles Homecoming
In 2014, Dewulf relocated to Berlin to expand into European and Asian markets. Copenhagen, Malmö, and Koh Samui followed. Travel gave him more than business connections. It sharpened his eye to patterns in nature and design, and it calibrated his sense of scale. He eventually returned to Los Angeles, where his workshop anchors a steady output of ambitious pieces. He lives in Pasadena with his partner, Dot, and their dog, Nala. Gardening is their daily ritual when the studio clock is off, and long walks with Nala keep the rhythm human.
The work itself is diverse. Picture a 900-pound ping-pong table engineered to withstand the elements, its lines echoing Fibonacci, used by icons like Andre Agassi and Oprah. Imagine the Exo series, furniture and sculpture informed by ocean microstructures, an homage to the architecture of life at scales we rarely see. In November 2024, he launched the Exo Lotus dining table in Houston, a new iteration of that biomorphic language. In 2024 and 2025, Dewulf exhibited at Design Miami LA and Design Miami Paris, and he showed in venues like Sakura Paris. On Instagram, his October 2025 posts dwell on new works and inspirations, including nods to figures like Jean Prouvé. There have been hints of an underwater art installation titled Save Mother in New York, a conceptual move that feels like a natural extension of his fascination with marine forms.
Family Ties
To understand Dewulf, I look at the family structure beyond the studio walls. He describes a close-knit circle with international roots and an unpretentious sense of solidarity. His older sister, Capucine Dewulf, is an entrepreneur and jewelry designer, an echo of the family’s creative tilt. His younger brother, Dean Dewulf, works for AEG, a global sports and live entertainment company. Many cousins live in France through his father’s eight siblings, but he keeps extended family mentions discreet.
There is a chapter with actress Noureen DeWulf, whom he married in 2000 and divorced in 2010. The split was amicable and they had no children. Noureen’s story is its own film reel. Born in 1984, raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with Gujarati Indian roots, she grew into a performer known for roles in West Bank Story, Ocean’s Thirteen, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, The Back-up Plan, and the TV series Anger Management. She later married NHL goaltender Ryan Miller and has two children. Dewulf’s current partner, Dot, stays outside the spotlight, an intentional privacy that complements his own. There are no public records of children for Dewulf himself.
The tone across these family connections is warm and restrained. You feel the pride, but you also feel the boundary. It is the kind of privacy that keeps the work central and the gossip minimal.
Materials, Method, and Motifs
Dewulf’s material vocabulary is muscular and refined. He pairs industrial concrete with bronze, brass, steel, stainless steel, and iron, often using non-corrosive alloys to solve problems before they begin. He thinks like a builder and composes like a sculptor. Thin slabs, seamless joins, and surfaces that catch light like wet stone, all part of a discipline he earned through years of iterations.
The motifs come from nature and math. Exoskeletons, cellular structures, geometric sequences. Concrete becomes a second skin that can shelter, serve, and spark. His catalog covers furniture, lighting, sinks, and gaming tables. Clients have included Elton John, Charlize Theron, Kanye West, and tastemakers like Tom Ford. Collaborations and commissions intersect with design-world arbiters such as Martyn Lawrence Bullard. It is a career that reads as steady, successful, and refreshingly free of manufactured drama.
FAQ
Who is James Dewulf?
James Dewulf is an American artist and designer specializing in high-end concrete furniture and sculptures. Born on March 20, 1976, he works in Los Angeles and develops pieces that blend concrete with metals like bronze and stainless steel while drawing inspiration from natural architectures.
Where did he grow up and what did he study?
He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and studied economics with a business minor at Emory University. In his late teens, he spent summers in France with extended family, which reinforced his connection to craft and fabrication.
What sparked his transition into design?
After working in investment banking and experiencing the market collapse in 2001, he moved into real estate development. Around 2007 to 2008, he discovered concrete as a design medium and eventually founded De Wulf Concrete, focusing on high-end furnishings.
Does James Dewulf have children?
There are no public records of children for James Dewulf.
Is he involved in any controversies or scandals?
No confirmed scandals or gossips are associated with him. His public presence centers on design and craftsmanship.
Where does he live now?
He lives in Pasadena, California, with his partner, Dot, and their dog, Nala. His studio and workshop operate in Los Angeles.
What are his most notable works?
Highlights include the Exo series, which references microscopic marine structures, and a 900-pound outdoor ping-pong table inspired by Fibonacci. In November 2024, he launched the Exo Lotus dining table in Houston.
What materials does he use?
He primarily uses concrete, often combined with bronze, brass, steel, stainless steel, and iron. Non-corrosive metals play a role in his outdoor and long-life pieces.
What is known about his family?
His mother, Vicky Dewulf, is a central figure in his life, and he speaks to her daily. His father grew up in Mormont, France, as one of nine siblings. He has an older sister, Capucine, an entrepreneur and jewelry designer, and a younger brother, Dean, who works for AEG. He was married to actress Noureen DeWulf from 2000 to 2010 and is currently with his partner, Dot.
What is his net worth?
His net worth is not publicly disclosed. The caliber of his clients and the high-end nature of his work suggest a successful career, but figures are not available.
What are his recent exhibitions and updates?
He has exhibited at Design Miami LA and Design Miami Paris, with additional shows including Sakura Paris. His Instagram posts from October 2025 showcase new works inspired by natural architectures, and he has hinted at a potential underwater installation titled Save Mother in New York.
