Jean-Paul Emonds-Alt studied sculpture at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture et des Arts décoratifs
(La Cambre) in Brussels, in the studio of Oscar Jespers, whose assistant he later became. A nine-month journey through the Congo in 1957 left a lasting impression on his work as a sculptor. Following this stay, he designed a monumental sculpture for the Belgian Congo Mines pavilion at the 1958 Universal Exhibition in Brussels, representing a group of four women (now visible in the lobby of a building on the corner of Avenue Louise and Rue Defacqz, Brussels). This sculpture will soon have a new destination.
From 1964 onwards, he devoted himself primarily to design, focusing on the shape of industrial products and the environment. He won several awards for his work, including the "M"
in the Brussels metro (1980).
In 1977, after a twelve-year hiatus, he returned to drawing and sculpting. His sculptural techniques include direct carving (blue and white stone), bronze (lost wax and plaster) and terracotta.
He has been a drawing teacher and workshop leader in the "Design" section at La Cambre. He also taught sculpture and drawing at the Académie de Boisfort near Brussels.
He created part of the stained glass windows for the Collégiale de Nivelles (Walloon Brabant, Belgium), namely the entire east choir, the entire west choir, the tribune chapels and the chapelle des Dames. The nave and side aisles were created in collaboration with Marthe Wéry.
In 2005, he created a sculpture for the Catholic University of Louvain, in homage to Father Maximilien Kolbe and the deportees who died in the Nazi camps.
An excellent draughtsman, he began painting in 2000.