Vincent CAZENEUVE
Beyond Materiality
2024.10.09 - 12.08
DUMONTEIL is honoured to present "Beyond Materiality," a solo exhibition by French artist Vincent Cazeneuve, in collaboration with ART Yangyun at Aman Yangyun in Shanghai. The idiom "Dan Chi Qi Hei" originates from a Confucian saying: "The vermilion remains red within; the lacquer remains black within. A nobleman must be cautious of where he resides." This ancient philosophical wisdom emphasizes the essence of things beneath the surface. In this context, "Dan Chi Qi Hei" symbolizes the intrinsic nature of humans and all things, aligning with the artistic concept of honouring the natural order.
The exhibition offers a comprehensive and systematic overview of the works of French artist Vincent Lacquer, who has lived in China for over a decade and uses lacquer as his primary medium. Vincent’s creations are not confined by tradition; they are deeply rooted in a language of innovation. He delves into the spirit of lacquer through material exploration, craftsmanship, and conceptual thought, freely expressing the contemporary renewal of 'Lacquer and Ware, Function and Beauty.'
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Vincent CAZENEUVE | 文森·漆 (b.1977)
Lacquer, which originated in China and is made from the natural sap of the lacquer tree, has been a defining art medium with deep cultural roots for thousands of years. Known for its versatility, lacquer has played a significant role in Chinese civilization. In Vincent Cazeneuve‘s work, this traditional material takes on a new life. Cazeneuve strips it of its original functional purpose and elevates it to a purer aesthetic form, combining multiple techniques on a single form. His approach expands and deepens the possibilities of lacquer art in today’s complex creative landscape. As the artist himself says: "Continuous experimentation and new directions, often inspired by accidents, make this development organic and Darwinian." Cazeneuve consistently explores lacquer's artistry, materiality, and timelessness, blending Eastern and Western influences to infuse this ancient medium with a contemporary touch and visual impact.
Vincent CAZENEUVE | 文森·漆 (b.1977)
Vincent Cazeneuve was born in Toulouse, a small town in southwest France, where his love for art began early, nurtured by his painter mother. After graduating from the École des Arts et Métiers d'Art de Leeville, his thesis on Art Deco exposed him to the works and theories of masters such as Eileen Gray and Gaston Suisse. Following a time spent restoring antique furniture and lacquerware, Cazeneuve’s fascination with the warmth and vitality of lacquer deepened. In 2007, he moved to China, seeking new creative horizons. From 2009, when he settled in Chongqing, to 2020, when he relocated to the secluded mountains of the Daba region, Cazeneuve has been driven by an inner desire to live close to nature—surrounded by lacquer trees and lacquer harvesters—bringing him ever closer to the medium that defines his artistic devotion.
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Vincent CAZENEUVE | 文森·漆 (b.1977)
In a work composed of 120 lacquer spoons created in 2023, Vincent Cazeneuve pays tribute to the life cycle of the lacquer tree. Typically, after being harvested four times, a lacquer tree is expected to die. However, if the tree is cut down before its natural death, the trunk can be given a second life. Inspired by this natural phenomenon, Cazeneuve cut down two old lacquer trees near his studio that had already been harvested. He transformed the wood into everyday utensils—common eating spoons—and adorned them with the lacquer they produced, symbolizing the completion of the life cycle and renewal.
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“I don’t paint with pigments, but with materials.” Vincent Cazeneuve’s creations stay true to the essence of the materials, emphasizing their ‘physicality’ and ‘materiality’ without altering their core characteristics. He seeks to achieve a harmonious balance between his spirit and the materials, elevating both in the process. Cazeneuve draws inspiration from the emotions sparked by objects and everyday tools, guided by his sensibility and free from the constraints of cultural preconceptions.
From the conventional use of wood, paper, silk, and lacquer in his early works, to more daring and innovative experiments, Cazeneuve has continuously pushed the boundaries of materiality. His daily practice has led him to master the use of diverse materials—ramie, bamboo, fabrics, mother-of-pearl, eggshell, gold and silver leaves—which, whether serving as lacquer bases or as decorative elements, undergo transformation into art through what he describes as a ‘breaking the cocoon’ process, generating new meaning.
Vincent CAZENEUVE | 文森·漆
Untitled | 无题
2022
Chinese lacquer, old rice bag, eggs shell inlays, gold leaves
大漆、米袋、蛋壳镶嵌、金箔
130 x 100 cm
近年来，米袋在文森的作品中反复出现，作为独立材质或胎质与漆相结合，展现出了与常规状态全然不同的美感。“我第一次看到旧米袋是在四川，它们被缝补了几十次。修补它们的人实际上是在和时间作斗争。”文森感性的创作背后，反复修补的黄麻米袋既象征对流逝时间的封存，和对文化记忆的捕捉。
In recent years, rice bags have become a recurring motif in Cazeneuve’s work, either as stand-alone materials or combined with lacquer, creating an aesthetic distinct from conventional approaches. “I first saw these old rice bags in Sichuan, which had been mended dozens of times. The people who mended them were fighting against time,” Cazeneuve reflects. Behind his sensual creations, these jute rice bags symbolize the preservation of passing time and the capture of cultural memory, a powerful metaphor woven into his work.
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Vincent CAZENEUVE | 文森·漆 (b.1977)
作为传递思想的载体，与常识相悖，文森·漆文字在作品中的运用并无关释义，反而更像是形似绘画的笔迹和寄托文森直觉的符号“能指（signifer）”——只有当被放在一段关系中、并与其他事物形成对比时，才会引发新的思考。艺术家有意放弃了对作品的命名权，让每件作品都以“无题”来示人，对于文森而言，标题既是桥梁同时也是壁垒，它限制了开放性解读的自然发生，反之指导着人们的视觉体验：“我的作品是一个整体，而命名会破坏这种统一性”。在这个被语言系统所主导驱动的当代艺术世界里，文森将对作品进行阐释的全部自由开放给了观者，文字是空，唯有感知方才真实。
对于文森·漆而言，他只在创作过程中短暂地拥有作品，因此其意义并无法用三言两语道明，而是需细细聆听材料的自语、任其将生命的方兴未艾娓娓道来。从河姆渡文化到“康乾盛世”，面对中国漆艺“千文万华，纷然不可胜识”的景象，文森·漆未曾却步，始终身体力行，让大漆艺术得以在当代语境中持续演化生长、历久弥新。
Contrary to conventional understanding, Vincent Cazeneuve’s use of language in his works is not about interpretation. Instead, it functions more like the handwritten strokes of a painting, representing his intuition. New ideas emerge only when his creations are placed in a relationship with, and contrasted against, other elements. By intentionally leaving his works untitled, Cazeneuve relinquishes the control that a title imposes. For him, a title can be both a bridge and a barrier, restricting the natural openness of interpretation and directing the viewer’s experience. “My work is a whole, and naming it destroys that unity,” he explains. In a contemporary art world driven by text and labels, Cazeneuve grants the viewer full freedom of interpretation—where words fall away and only perception remains.
For Cazeneuve, his relationship with his work is fleeting; he possesses it only during its creation. Its meaning cannot be encapsulated in a few words. Instead, the materials themselves must speak, telling the story of life in its nascent form. From the Hemudu culture to the Kangxi-Qianlong Prosperity, Cazeneuve remains unwavering in his dedication to ensuring that lacquer art evolves and flourishes in contemporary contexts, navigating the rich and diverse tradition of Chinese lacquer.
关于艺术家
文森·漆 Vincent Cazeneuve（1977年出生）是一名以大漆为主要创作媒介的法国艺术家。
在法国完成学业后，他曾创立工作室专注于西方与亚洲漆器的修复工作，后于2009年移居中国重庆，一心钻研漆艺，以及与其创作相关的中国传统文化和手工技艺。
Vincent Cazeneuve (b.1977) is a French artist using Chinese lacquer as his primary medium of creation.
After completing his studies in France, he created a studio specializing in restorating Western and Asian lacquerware. He has been living in Chongqing, China since 2009 to decipher the secret of lacquer and traditional culture and craftsmanship essential to his work.
He gradually developed his narratives and aesthetics from occidental and oriental influences with his deceptively simple yet complex language while relentlessly exploring non-traditional supports such as old rice bags, wool felt, and leather. He also tries to draw on other art forms such as lithography, relief carving, collage, and traditional crafts such as hand-weaving and bamboo weaving, lending his work rich layers and tactile feelings.
Vincent Cazeneuve’s work has been widely exhibited in art institutions in China and abroad, including K11 Art and Culture Center, Hong Kong (2024), Chi K11 Art Space, Guangzhou(2023), Yuelai Art Museum, Chongqing(2023), Hubei Art Museum(2023), Chi K11 Art Museum, Shanghai(2022), TCCA, Xiamen(2022), XLY MoMA, Chengdu (2021), the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, Beijing (2020), Yunnan Provincial Museum (2019), Art Museum of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (2019), Chinese Cultural Center, Paris, France (2017), Revel IMARA, France (2013), Shanghai Biennale of Contemporary Art ( 2010), etc. His work has also been included in private collections in France, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, and China.
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