Ixia

SHANGHAI BEAUTY
2012 Nov 21 Written by Cecilia Chan 陈溪

Recently, French based artist, Ixia Venel, hosted her first solo exhibition in China at Le Pont des Arts Gallery. In her paintings, the image of Asian women has become a recurring theme. They quietly appear on the canvas, on an intense background, depicting the charm of Shanghainese women.

“In these types of faces, I like the softness of their features, which are very smooth, pure and delicate. They are like bare soil upon which I make new expressions grow, to show the personality of the subject, especially through the intensity of the gaze. ”

Ixia is Eurasian, beautiful and sophisticated. Her work alludes to her inner-self and her heart. She is rational, with her feet firmly on the ground, but inside burns creativity and imagination. She is influenced by the dualist philosophy of Descartes, and tries to perceive other parallel realities, to sense other metaphysical, intangible forces, and to travel between dreams and reality.

“When I really became a painter is the day I came across a photo of a Vietnamese lady of Bac Ha, that made me really want to do a portrait of her. I wanted to do this in order to express the emotions that had invaded me, looking at the beauty of her embroidered clothes, her proud posture and her honest gaze. From this day, this want has never ceased to exist and I re-interpret it from painting to painting. ”

VANTAGE: Your paintings frequently have animals in them. Does this hint at their personality?

Ixia: In my work, animals are a kind of totem: they accompany the people, protect them, and show their personality too. The fact they appear more or less abstractly or in a figurative way is always an aspect I play with to show different things. In the painting “Shanghai time’ for example, I wanted to express the past through the symbol of water; a recurrent theme in traditional Chinese painting, with moving fish. I think it is important to keep in mind what has come before us. This makes this young woman turn towards modernity; symbolized by Pudong and the Oriental Pearl Tower with which she becomes one.

VANTAGE: What is your impression of Shanghai? Do you think China has a special artistic atmosphere ?

Ixia: Without a doubt, there is an energy in China that is very motivating. I like this dynamic that goes forth, in parallel with the history and traditions that are so rich and so inspiring. In China, everyday ideas bloom and are created, it’s fantastic.

"Ce qui touche chez Ixia, c'est l'équilibre entre la passion et le réalisme ; la maturité de l'art et la jeunesse. [...] Sa vocation est placée sous le signe de la fraternité et de la volonté de créer une passerelle entre les peuples." Isabelle Walz ( Femmes Magazine - Luxembourg).

"Her delicate and articulate style makes her work unique from many painters." Tengo Lor (Hmongartists.net - USA)

La Dépêche d'Auvergne, juillet 2012
Par Marie Tornero