Jean-François Lettre was born in 1973 in the city of Sorel, Quebec. From 1992 to 1994, he dedicated his studies to ecology at Cegep de Sherbrooke, he then developed his first experiments with woodworking in a self-taught manner while working as a forester.
With his seasonal work as an arborist, he uses quiet periods to develop and improve his woodworking techniques. Winter is the season that allows him to make and sell his creations, in addition to taking various courses with the ARTÉBOIS School of Cabinetmakers, a school specializing in this field. The tree, its past, the events that marked its life and which are inevitably found ingrained in the wood, gives artistic direction to his creations.
In January 2013, Jean-François quit his job and creates full-time objects of art and small furniture inspired by nature. Over the next two years, he participated in several markets, trade shows and festivals and the public appreciated his products. Nature inspires him more and more and he develops different methods to highlight the particular characteristics of the wood.
Inspired by Quebec visual artists such as Jimmy Perron, Dominic Besner and especially by the work of Korean artist Lee Jae-Hyo, Jean-François invented a new technique in the fall of 2015: "Myco-engraving". He uses the features, marks and colors left in the wood by fungi, knots and cracks to create unique and special pieces of art.