ARTICLES
Interview with Fabien Verschaere｜Literature and Mystique in His Works
July 29, 2022
Hong Kong
Fabien Verschaere in production.
Le French May, a major event to introduce French culture to Hong Kong. Whitestone Gallery H Queen's presented "Contrasting Confluences", a group exhibition by French artists Clément Denis and Fabien Verschaere and Japanese artist Karen Shiozawa, as a joint project of the 30th "Le French May".
This time we would like to introduce one of them, Fabien Verschaere. The interview is about Fabien Verschaere's work, which is full of mystery, fairytale-like worldviews, and how much he treasures nature and literature.
From the exhibition view
ーWhat is your core (commitment in production) ?
My work is a quest linked to geography, it is a gestural search for a territory, a space, a way. I am not an extremist looking for a specific scenery but for an interiority, the shaping of a fantasy realm without borders or structure. it's going back to the concept of substance, trusting in a natural path that emerges.
ーTell us about your muse(s).
Poetry is not manufactured, rather it comes to you like a wind that blows, telling you the story of the world. I like to believe that what inspires me is nothing other than a transformation from what I see as necessary to be universal.
The artist's necrosis doesn't affect me so much as the subject matter, but the writing with which we work. I strongly believe in calligraphy because it makes mythology out of the invisible and the muse becomes overall.
Fabien Verschaere in production. Many paints are available next to the painting.
ーCan you share with us your essentials and must-have materials in your creation process?
I mainly use watercolor and Korean traditional paint from the brand SHINHAN. I have been an ambassador of their brand for three years. Their colors have been over pigmented and the opera pink is amazing.
I enjoy the organic aspect of the stuff, it's a work that comes and goes with the water like the journey of the nomadic people, it's the spirit of the wilderness.
ーWhat does your daily routine look like?
My life is full of experiences, if I don't create it, I work in my studio trying to play with artworks according to my language.
Production
ーWhen you feel uninspired / in a creative block, how do you overcome it?
Not having any thoughts, looking around and creating your own mythology, daily life is a fairy tale. What allows me to breathe is hopefully a new day, another story line. That's what gets me through the difficulties.
ーPlease share your future endeavors.
My future is only a succession of a past which has been nourished by extraordinary encounters. Now I would like to be straightforward in revealing literary works like Donquichotte or Alice in Wonderland. A future where I perform and revisit well-known pieces of literature.
Fabien Verschaere《Mike Mickey》2021, 80.0 × 60.3cm, Paper, Watercolor
ーLastly, what would you like to do for your next exhibition, or what is already in progress?
There are several projects this year : the ceiling of the Olympic village for Paris 2024, a solo exhibition at BRUGIER RIGAIL gallery in Paris, two exhibitions in Seoul and a wall painting project in Kinshasa.
Fabien Verschaere in production
ARTIST
Fabien Verschaere, a French artist, is known for his vibrant and eclectic style, seamlessly blending elements of pop culture, surrealism, and psychedelia. Verschaere graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts Paris in 2000 and the Beaux-Arts Nantes in 2001. These experiences have greatly influenced his artistic expression, resulting in a unique artistic style that immerses viewers in a world teeming with hybrid creatures and monsters born from his limitless imagination. Verschaere constructs his own mythology, giving just as much poetic weight to the beautiful as the banal.
After receiving the Dena Foundation Prize in 2000, Verschaere's work garnered broader recognition and art exhibitions showcased it in several countries. Notably, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris featured his artwork, including a significant presence in the group exhibition Notre Histoire in 2006. Subsequently, he held a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon in 2007. In 2015, Verschaere collaborated with the Ministry of Culture and Communication to create a monumental mural in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, showcasing his artistic prowess on a grand scale.
Currently Fabien Verschaere creates a large fresco for Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games.
