法国艺术家文森的重庆寻漆故事.pdf

ForeignAffairs/外事French Artist Vincent:Pursuit of Lacquer inChongqingBy He Yu/The World and ChongqingSettling in Chongqing for Lacquer CreationIn 1977,Vincent was born in a village inToulouse of France.After finishing his academicyears in France,he established a studio for antiquerestoration.Since then,he has developed a deepinterest in lacquer.However,French industriallacquer cannot fit the bill,which drove him to explorethe origin of lacquer in Asia.In 2007,Vincent made a trip to China upon hisfriends invitation and fell in love with lacquer artat first sight in Chengdu.In 2009,Vincent came toChongqing and he was captivated by the artisticatmosphere of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute(SFAI).As Chongqing also boasts excellent lacquer culture,he soon decided to settle down in Chongqing andopened a studio in Huangjueping where SFAI islocated.IntroductionHuangjueping nurtures art,Vincent commented.Born in Chongqings sister city Toulouse of France,VincentHe communicated with SFAI teachers and localCazeneuve,known as Wensen Qi in Chinese,is a contemporaryartists.It is worth mentioning that he met his wifeartist dedicated to lacquer(Chinese lacquer or raw lacquer)Xiao Rong who majored in oil painting at SFAI.creation.He settled down in Chongqing in 2009.His works havebeen exhibited in art institutions both in and outside of China,andsome even have been collected by private individuals.“The foundation of this piece was created from my ownbamboo weaving.This artwork was made combining a usedgunny bag with lacquer art,and there are even visible mendingmarks on it.On April 27,Vincent introduced the piecesexhibited in the“Chongqing Artist ArchiveCazeneuve Vincent“exhibition to the audience at the Rock Space of the Yuelai ArtMuseum.He speaks fluent Mandarin and occasionally mixes in afew English phrases as well as the Chongqing dialect.At theexhibition,Vincent shared his story of traveling thousands ofmiles from France to Chongqing in pursuit of lacquer during aninterview.Vincent relocated his studio several times fromHuangjueping to Geleshan and Hufengshan.In 2021,he moved the studio to Songbai Village,BeipingTownship,Chengkou County,where he can get muchclosertolacquer.Exploring the Origin of Lacquer in ChengkouI learned about the Chengkou lacquer art along time ago.I wanted to establish a studio there,immerse myself in the life of lacquer farmers,andexplore the origins of lacquer,Vincent introduced.By chance,the staff at the Beiping TownshipGovernment in Chengkou County saw a documentaryabout Vincent online and invited him to Chengkou60The World and Chongqing外国友人讲重庆故事丨重庆市政府外事办公室主办ChongqingFAOsInterviewwithForeignFriends inChinafor lacquerware creation based on local industrialdevelopment needs.Thus,their friendly cooperationbegan.Beiping Township is scenic with a pleasantecological environment,making it an ideal place forcreation.Over the past two years since the studiorelocation,Vincent has already immersed himself inthe local way of life,learned with lacquer farmers tocollect lacquer from lacquer trees,and developed aclose relationship with lacquer.Collecting lacquerisrisky,lonely,yetenjoyable.Vincent often collects lacquer in DabaMountain alone.He climbs up the lacquer trees andnails spikes,working all night long until he cancollect the lacquer in the morning.As the sun rises,he finds great pleasure in watching the lacquer flowslowly.The gentle chirping of insects and birdsalso brings him happiness and adds to the peacefulatmosphere around him.Chengkou lacquer art is an intangible culturalheritage of Chongqing.In recent years,the PeoplesGovernment of Chengkou County has focused onthe large-scale planting of lacquer trees to promoteindustrial development and realize rural revitalization.Following Vincent,many young people have beenattracted to explore lacquer art in Chengkou County.Vincent believes that traditional art is incrediblyvaluable and should be protected and passed down.He is passionate about promoting,preserving,andinheriting the lacquer art.Artistic Rebirth of OrdinaryOld ObjectsGolden,red,orange.Vincents works breakwith the traditional use of black lacquer and insteadexpress themselves in a more colorful way.Hiddenbeneath the sleek surface may be old rice bags,bamboo baskets,and bowls that have been givennew life and transformed through his lacquer artistry.Vincents unique artistic expression lies in his perfectfusion of the old and new,the rough and smooth,andtraditional and modern elements.In his artworks,Vincent fuses antique restorationtechniques,traditional lacquer crafts,and local life.The production of a piece of lacquerware involvesdozens of procedures.To diversify his works,Vincenthas also learned handicraft techniques such asbamboo weaving.In the future,Vincent hopes to continue studyingChengkou lacquer art,learning more about traditionalChinese culture and handicraft skills,so as to enrichhis works both in layers and touch.Hope to Hold Solo Exhibitions in Chongqingand ToulouseToulouse where