French Artist Vincent: Pursuit of Lacquer in Chongqing

法国艺术家文森的重庆寻漆故事

Introduction

Born in Chongqing’s sister city Toulouse of France, Vincent Cazeneuve, known as Wensen Qi in Chinese, is a contemporary artist dedicated to lacquer (Chinese lacquer or raw lacquer) creation. He settled down in Chongqing in 2009. His works have been exhibited in art institutions both in and outside of China, and some even have been collected by private individuals.

     

“The foundation of this piece was created from my own bamboo weaving. This artwork was made combining a used gunny bag with lacquer art, and there are even visible mending marks on it...” On April 27, Vincent introduced the pieces exhibited in the “Chongqing Artist Archive—Cazeneuve Vincent “ exhibition to the audience at the Rock Space  of the Yuelai Art Museum.

     

He speaks fluent Mandarin and occasionally mixes in a few English phrases as well as the Chongqing dialect. At the exhibition, Vincent shared his story of traveling thousands of miles from France to Chongqing in pursuit of lacquer during an interview.

 

Settling in Chongqing for Lacquer Creation

    

In 1977, Vincent was born in a village in Toulouse of France. After finishing his academic years in France, he established a studio for antique restoration. Since then, he has developed a deep interest in lacquer. However, French industrial lacquer cannot fit the bill, which drove him to explore the origin of lacquer in Asia.

     

文森在城口县北屏乡松柏村的工作室。

In 2007, Vincent made a trip to China upon his friend’s invitation and fell in love with lacquer art at first sight in Chengdu. In 2009, Vincent came to Chongqing and he was captivated by the artistic atmosphere of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SFAI). As Chongqing also boasts excellent lacquer culture, he soon decided to settle down in Chongqing and opened a studio in Huangjueping where SFAI is located.

Huangjueping nurtures art, Vincent commented. He communicated with SFAI teachers and local artists. It is worth mentioning that he met his wife Xiao Rong who majored in oil painting at SFAI.

Vincent relocated his studio several times from Huangjueping to Geleshan and Hufengshan. In 2021, he moved the studio to Songbai Village , Beiping Township, Chengkou County, where he can get much closer to lacquer.

Exploring the Origin of Lacquer in Chengkou

 “I learned about the Chengkou lacquer art a long time ago. I wanted to establish a studio there, immerse myself in the life of lacquer farmers, and explore the origins of lacquer”, Vincent introduced. By chance, the staff at the Beiping Township Government in Chengkou County saw a documentary about Vincent online and invited him to Chengkou for lacquerware creation based on local industrial development needs. Thus, their friendly cooperation began.

Beiping Township is scenic with a pleasant ecological environment, making it an ideal place for creation. Over the past two years since the studio relocation, Vincent has already immersed himself in the local way of life, learned with lacquer farmers to collect lacquer from lacquer trees, and developed a close relationship with lacquer.

“Collecting lacquer is risky, lonely, yet enjoyable.” Vincent often collects lacquer in Daba Mountain alone. He climbs up the lacquer trees and nails spikes, working all night long until he can collect the lacquer in the morning. As the sun rises, he finds great pleasure in watching the lacquer flow slowly. The gentle chirping of insects and birds also brings him happiness and adds to the peaceful atmosphere around him.

Chengkou lacquer art is an intangible cultural heritage of Chongqing. In recent years, the People’s Government of Chengkou County has focused on the large-scale planting of lacquer trees to promote industrial development and realize rural revitalization. Following Vincent, many young people have been attracted to explore lacquer art in Chengkou County. Vincent believes that traditional art is incredibly valuable and should be protected and passed down. He is passionate about promoting, preserving, and inheriting the lacquer art.

Artistic Rebirth of Ordinary Old Objects

Golden, red, orange... Vincent’s works break with the traditional use of black lacquer and instead express themselves in a more colorful way. Hidden beneath the sleek surface may be old rice bags, bamboo baskets, and bowls that have been given new life and transformed through his lacquer artistry. Vincent’s unique artistic expression lies in his perfect fusion of the old and new, the rough and smooth, and traditional and modern elements.

      

In his artworks, Vincent fuses antique restoration techniques, traditional lacquer crafts, and local life. The production of a piece of lacquerware involves dozens of procedures. To diversify his works, Vincent has also learned handicraft techniques such as bamboo weaving.

In the future, Vincent hopes to continue studying Chengkou lacquer art, learning more about traditional Chinese culture and handicraft skills, so as to enrich his works both in layers and touch.

Hope to Hold Solo Exhibitions in Chongqing and Toulouse

       

Toulouse where Vincent was born is France’s fourth-largest city located in the southwest of the country. Chongqing and Toulouse established a sister city relationship in December 1982, marking the beginning of Chongqing’s international-friendly city initiatives.

 “Both Chongqing and Toulouse are cities that I love”, Vincent explained. He once planned to hold a solo exhibition in both cities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their sister city relationship, but unfortunately, it was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Vincent hopes that he will have the opportunity to realize his wish in the future. He will hold a solo exhibition in Paris in September 2023.

 

Over ten years living in Chongqing, the time has flown by and it feels like it was just yesterday when I first walked on the street at Huangjueping”, Vincent said. He loves the hills and valleys of Chongqing, the city’s inclusiveness and openness, as well as the straightforward and bold character of local residents.

Vincent said that Chongqing and Toulouse are both cities with a long history, developed industries, and beautiful landscapes. They have carried out cultural exchange activities such as mutual exhibitions and art performances. Over the years, French and Chinese students have studied at SFAI in Chongqing and the fine arts academies in Toulouse respectively, and some of them have become artists. Vincent hopes that in the future, there will be more cultural exchanges and urban promotion activities between the two cities to promote mutual understanding between the people.

Photo/The Interviewee and Yuelai Art Museum

文森在城口的工作室创作。

人物名片   

Vincent Cazeneuve，中文名文森·漆，来自重庆的友城法国图卢兹，专注于当代大漆（又名天然漆、生漆）创作的艺术家。2009年移居重庆，作品曾在国内外艺术机构展出，并被私人收藏。

 “这件作品的胎底是我自己制作的竹编，这件是用旧麻袋结合漆艺创作而成，上面还有缝补痕迹……”4月27日，在悦来美术馆·岩石空间，文森向观众介绍“重庆艺术家档案——文森·漆”主题展览的作品。

说一口流利的普通话，偶尔夹杂着几句英语和重庆方言。展览现场，文森接受记者采访，将他从法国到重庆，跨越万里的寻漆故事娓娓道来。

追随大漆定居重庆

1977年，文森出生在法国图卢兹的一个乡村。在法国完成学业后，他创立工作室从事古董修复工作。自那时起，他便对大漆产生了浓厚兴趣，但法国的工业漆无法满足其需求，他想去亚洲探寻大漆的本源。

2007年，文森应朋友邀请来中国旅游，在成都对漆艺“一见钟情”。2009年，文森来到重庆，被四川美术学院（以下简称：川美）的艺术氛围深深吸引。看到重庆也有上乘的大漆，他很快便决定定居重庆，在川美所在地黄桷坪设立工作室。

文森说，黄桷坪是滋养艺术的土地。他在那里与川美的老师、艺术家交流学习，并结识了他的妻子，川美油画专业的肖蓉。

文森在重庆先后换了几处工作室，从黄桷坪到歌乐山、虎峰山，2021年他到了离漆更近的地方，城口县北屏乡松柏村。

在城口探寻漆的本源

“我很早就了解到城口的大木漆，想在那里打造一间工作室，融入漆农的生活，探寻漆的本源。”文森介绍，一次偶然的机会，城口县北屏乡政府工作人员在网上看到关于文森的纪录片，结合当地产业发展需求邀请他去城口创作，一场“双向奔赴”就这样开始了。

北屏乡风景宜人，生态环境优良，非常适合创作。工作室创立两年来，文森早已融入当地生活，跟漆农学会割漆，与漆亲密接触。

“割漆的过程危险、孤独，但快乐。”文森说，他常常独自前往大巴山割漆，爬上漆树钉钉子，忙活一整晚，早上才能取漆。每当太阳升起，阳光洒在脸上，看着漆缓缓流出，连虫鸣鸟叫都会让他感到快乐。

城口漆艺是重庆市非物质文化遗产。近年来，城口县政府组织发展规模化种植漆树，带动产业发展，实现乡村振兴。以文森为开端，当地也吸引了很多年轻人参与漆艺研究。在文森看来，传统工艺弥足珍贵，需要保护和传承，他希望尽己所能推广和传承漆艺。

 

文森的漆艺作品。

寻常旧物件的艺术重生

金色、红色、橙色……文森的作品打破惯用黑漆的传统，以更加多彩的方式表达。其作品光滑的表面下，或许是破米袋、旧竹篮、旧碗，经过文森的漆艺创作焕发新生。新与旧、粗糙与平滑、传统与当下完美结合，这是文森独有的艺术表达。

文森的漆艺作品融合了古董修复技法、大漆工艺与当地生活，制作一件漆艺作品有几十道工序，为了让作品更加多元化，他还学习了竹编等手工技艺。

未来，文森希望继续在城口研究漆艺，学习更多中国传统文化和手工技艺，使其作品拥有丰富的层次和触感。

希望在重庆与图卢兹举办双城展

文森的家乡图卢兹市位于法国西南部，是法国的第四大城市。重庆与图卢兹于1982年12月缔结为友好城市，这也是重庆国际友好城市工作的开端。

 “重庆和图卢兹都是我热爱的城市。”文森介绍，早在重庆与图卢兹结好20周年之际，他就曾计划在双城举办个展以示庆祝，但最终因故取消，希望未来有机会实现这一愿望。接下来，他将于今年9月在巴黎举办个展。

 

“在重庆生活的十多年转瞬而过，第一次走在黄桷坪仿佛只是昨天。”文森说，他爱重庆的坡坡坎坎，爱城市的大开大合，爱重庆人的耿直豪爽。

文森表示，重庆和图卢兹都是历史悠久、工业发达、山水相依的城市，两地曾开展互办展览、艺术展演等文化交流活动。多年来，法国和中国的留学生也分别在重庆的川美和图卢兹的美院学习。文森希望，未来两地开展更多的文化交流和城市推介活动，促进民心相通。 

文/贺煜

图/受访者 悦来美术馆提供