Sin Sin Fine Art proudly presents Poetic Layers, a solo exhibition of the French artist Wensen Qi (Vincent Cazeneuve).
Born In Toulouse (South of France) in 1977, Vincent moved to Chongqing (Toulouse’s twin town) in 2007 where he opened his own studio, acquired his Chinese name Wensen Qi and eventually held solo and group exhibitions. Wensen has also been exhibiting in other parts of China, in France and in Japan and has participated to various exhibitions as a performance artist and as an installation artist. This is the first time his works come to Hong Kong. After Poetic Layers at Sin Sin Fine Art, Wensen will exhibit in the Chongqing Museum on the 1st week of October. This year is Chongqing and Toulouse 30 years anniversary.
As an expert in wood cabinet making, marquetry and gilding, after graduating from the Ecole des Metiers d’Art in Revel (France), Wensen opened his own atelier specialized in restoration of Asian and Western Lacquer ware. His authentic encounter with Chinese Lacquer occurred throughout his first trip to China during his apprenticeship in the studio of a Lacquer Master in Chongqing. Given his artistic path, it is not surprising to see how, in his lacquer paintings,Wensen derives his creative conception from Chinese traditional ideology and culture and then mixing it with elements of Western Art, hence inexhaustibly exploring the possibility of the perseverance of tradition in contemporary times.
Lacquer painting is one of the ancient arts of China. It requires patience and fortitude as it is well known that the process of embedding, scattering, rubbing and layering may require several repetitions. The theme “Poetic Layers” commences from the idea of the manual repetition of these gestures and investigates the Artist’s attempt to embody his poetic sensations. The Artist’s concerns on history and his aspiration to eternity are well expressed through Lacquer which even after thousands of years maintains its splendor.
Wensen has turned lacquer painting from a traditional medium that combines various techniques to a contemporary medium of art expression. In his works roughness and undulating texture are coordinated with smoothness and shine, as if Wensen is covering the work with a layer of poetic fog, silently whispering his inspiration. Wensen never seeks to be ornamental nor he seeks strong visual effects, but rather prefers to find a subtle and lingering charm from various colors and material collision - creating art that has a life of its own. The lacquers sometimes take the form of collages of carefully chosen and embedded ready-made materials, creating results that are constantly changing in the Artist’s hands. When a cut of an abandoned washboard, a piece of ramie fabric or a bamboo mat are set in the lacquer they lose some parts of their identity, giving way to a sense of alienation between familiar and unfamiliar.
“Poetic Layers” comes as a collaborative effort with Hong Merchant Gallery in Shanghai, where Wensen has previously been showing his artworks.
Sin Sin Fine Arts 誠意向各位推介法國藝術家文森漆的個人展- 詩般美的層次(Poetic Layers)。
Wensen Qi (Vincent Cazeneuve)在1977年出生於圖蘆茲(法國南部一個城市)，2007年移居重慶(圖蘆茲的姐妹城市)，並在那裏開設他的首間藝術工作室，改了文森漆這個中國名字，以及舉辦了個人及集體展。文森漆亦在中國的其他城市、法國及日本舉辦畫展，並以表演藝術家及裝置藝術家的身分參與。今次是他首次在香港展出他的作品。「詩般美的層次」在Sin Sin Fine Arts展出後便會在十月的第一個星期在重慶博物館展出。今年是重慶和圖蘆茲結義30週年。
文森漆精於製造木櫃、鑲嵌及粉飾等工序。從法國Revel的Ecole des Metiers d’Art 畢業後他便開設自己的工作室，專門修復亞洲和西方的漆器。他在首次前往中國跟重慶一位漆器大師學藝時真正與中國漆器結緣。細看文森漆的藝術之路，不難發現他在漆器上的畫作，創意多是來自中國的傳統理念和文化，然後再與西方藝術的元素溶為一體，鍥而不捨地從中尋找堅持當代傳統的可行性。
漆器繪畫是中國其中一項古老的藝術。從事這項藝術的人需要付出耐性和毅力，因為嵌入、分散，磨擦及加上塗層等工序需要反複重做。「詩般美的層次」的主題始於這些人手操作的反複工序，並設法找出藝術家有否嘗試將他的如詩的感覺收納在內。藝術家對歷史的重視和對永恒的期盼，可藉著千萬年後仍然光彩奪目的漆器充分表現出來。
文森漆將融合不同技巧的傳統漆器繪畫，轉化為當代的藝術表達模式。他的作品揉合了不光滑和高低起伏的質感，但卻以平滑和光彩加以協調，像是把一層詩般美的霧氣，覆蓋在他的作品之上，靜靜地細說著他的心願。
文森漆從不追求華麗的裝飾及強烈的視覺效果，但卻選擇從不同顏色及物料的衝擊中尋覓奧妙及縈繞心間的魅力，從而創造出具有生命的藝術。漆器畫有時採用從精心選取及現成的鑲嵌物合成的拼貼畫形式，從藝術家的手中創造出千變萬化的成果。漆器畫上的被遺棄的洗衣板的一角、一片麻纖維或一塊竹蓆或會失去部分本身的原貌，讓熟悉與非熟悉之間的外來感覺游走其中。
這次「詩般美的層次」畫展由文森漆與上海的Hong Merchant 畫廊合辦。他的作品早前曾在該畫廊展出。
