My First Experience With a Lacquer Artist

Unlike China, Francedoesn't have the lacquer tree, which is a limitation for them to make lacquer. However, the spirit of creativity and innovation in French people's blood will never let those external obstacles hinder their zest for pursuing art. Three hundred years ago, French invented varnish, an equivalent to Qi in Asia. French people created their lacquer works by imitating eastern pieces of art. However, they didn't stay at the primary imitation step. Isabelle, during her interview with the Southern Metropolis Daily, exerted much emphasis on the French spirit in her works while still maintaining a strong sense of oriental flavor. She gained the inspiration for her works ''La Porte''during her travels in Burma. That's why we see the oriental waves, patterns and bells inserted in her works. Every piece of her work contains two parts, like a double doorway does. Isabelle regards this as a symbol of cultural integration. Each part of the door represents one culture, and their juxtaposition simply signals that when two different cultures encounter each other, they should listen to each other and try to communicate.Aside from the oriental flavor, the techniques and the typical French color are totally western. Thus Isabelle's works may be considered as a perfect combination of western and eastern culture.

When I conversed with Isabelle, I could feel her deep devotion to lacquer and her lifelong pursuit for perfection in art. She started her career from a magic experience with the smell of Qi. Then she became totally infatuated with lacquer. It's like a true lover. "Everyday when you open the door, you smell the flavor, and you cannot walk away from it", she said with a pondering smile.

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