Shanghai Daily News

French artist Richard Texier(top) will bring more of his giant canvases (above) and sculptures for an exhibition in Shanghai next January as part of the Year of France in China. (Photo: Shanghai Daily)

A French painter and sculptor hopes that Shanghai art lovers will understand and appreciate his very surreal works, writes Wang Jie.
A selection of works by an artist who enjoys the patronage of the President of France, Jacques Chirac, has found a new home in Shanghai.
He is Richard Texier, and K. Wah Investment Co Ltd has announced the purchase of five of his canvases and one large-scale sculpture. The company sought advice before deciding on Texier, whose artworks have been widely collected. ``We consulted the French government and Texier's name was on top of their recommendation list,'' says Shellie Zhang, a senior officer at K. Wah.
The decision to make the purchase will undoubtedly help boost Texier's reputation in China, even before his solo exhibition scheduled for next January at the Shanghai Art Museum as part of the Year of France in China. And Texier knows well the ``power of the media.'' ``I am very curious to see how the local public will respond to my work,'' he says.
``It depends on how you journalists write about me.'' Wearing a linen suit with a black silk scarf, Texier poses quickly before the camera flashes at his press conference. ``I've become accustomed to this,'' he smiles, ``because I have done lots of interviews back home.''
Strongly influenced by Pablo Picasso and the Abstract Expressionism, Texier's work deals with the myth of nature, fluorescent shades of colors and the electric spontaneity of Picasso. One key element that makes his canvases different is his formula for mixing his oil paints. They are a combination of volcanic dust, oil paint and earth. Texier insists that the dust must be from volcanoes in Italy.
``The special mixture gives a very soft, intricate texture and a distinctive hue to my brushstrokes,'' he says. Born in a small seaside village in 1955, the young Texier began solo sailing in a small yacht when he was only five years old -- an early indication of his solitary personality. At the age of 12, Texier began to show a passion for art and, in particular, surrealism. Over the next six years, he spent all his spare time in an attic painting the surrealistic images that came to his mind. ``My studio is a nomadic one,'' he says.
``I can't bear to lock myself away in the one place because it hampers my creativity.'' So, he traveled a lot to different places around the world but always as a painter, not a tourist.
"Sometimes I feel very guilty about my family, especially my son,'' Texier says, lowering his voice. ``Being married to an artist is not an easy thing.'' But it seems having a free heart is a necessary part of the destiny of any nomadic artist. Texier's subjects include bizarre animals, symbolism relating to the sea and legends. For example, some of the animals he depicts resemble a combination of an elephant and a rhinoceros. ``I always believe that we live in a magic world with inspiration to be found everywhere,'' he says. ``Actually, I don't believe that anything to do with the senses is entirely logical.'' Texier's emotional ties with China started in 1995 when he met Zao Wou-ki, a well-known Paris-based Chinese artist.
Zao admired Texier's artistic talent and purchased several of his canvases and sculptures. ``But gradually we became close friends and soon we were giving each other works as souvenirs,'' he says. ``From him, I came to know more about China and its culture.'' To create works for the K.WAH Center, Texier is staying in town for three weeks. ``I love any city that is near the water, so I love Shanghai,'' he says. ``I am looking forward to my return next January when I will bring more of my works to share.''