Having
heard so much about incredibly talented French Artist, Charles Chauderlot who
paints with Chinese brushes, I jumped at the opportunity to attend his Press
Conference to promote his upcoming art exhibition. Arriving at the Blue Mansion
or more affectionately known as the Cheong Fatt Tze, I was greeted by the sight
of Charles quietly sitting outside of his room wielding his brush deftly
putting soft touches to his latest painting; the interior of Cheong Fatt Tze.
Charles Painting Cheong Fatt Tze
Find the scene of the painting
Charles has
a warm personality, and he shares his passion for his art and his subjects
eagerly. When showing his recently completed work, the courtyard of Cheong Fatt
Tze, he sat in the exact position in which he captured the image to give us a
feel of his artistic mind. The painting is amazing, filled with the intricate
details of the Mansion’s courtyard. It felt as though he had captured a warm
piece of living breathing history. If you could walk through the painting, you
might find yourself back in the days when Cheong Fatt Tze still ruled the
mansion with his many wives.
With his Tools of the Trade
Explaining
his fascination for the Chinese culture, Charles told us that when he first
went to Beijing
he was surprised by the beauty of Chinese architecture. Incredibly fascinated
by their rich culture and heritage, he moved to Beijing in 1996.
Charles
studied the art of Chinese Brush painting and Chinese language to further
appreciate the culture and ultimately survive in Beijing. Initially he had no plans to stay in
China for as long as he did,
but he discovered he had so much to see and study in China
so he ended up staying in Beijing
for 10 years. He was amazed by the different styles of architecture in the
different provinces in China.
Charles Sharing a thought with Tze
Charles
drew the buildings and streets of Beijing
for the sheer love and passion for the intricate architecture and design. Soon his
artwork became forms of preservation of the old China
as Beijing
began to develop into a modern city. Finding the change of scenery from
beautiful buildings to metal unfeeling ones, he moved to Macau
which still maintains part of its heritage.
Can you see what Charles see?
Although he
is of French – Spanish heritage, Charles has a deep love for the Chinese. He says
it’s not just the buildings, it is everything about the Chinese; their culture,
their beliefs, food and language also influences him. It saddens him that most
of the buildings and streets he painted in his book on Beijing has disappeared, swallowed by the
brash need to modernize. To him, Chinese is all about their amazing language
and culture. The new China
lacks the emotion and passion that was contained in the old China.
Due to his diligence
in perfecting his art, Charles is the first and only artist to be given the
honour of painting the Forbidden City
including its restricted areas by the Chinese Authorities. Also, for Macau’s 10th
year Celebration of their handover, the Macau Authorities had chosen 3 of
Charles’ artwork to represent Macau.
Charles with his pipe
Asked about
his feelings about Penang, Charles expressed a deep love for this Island with so much hidden culture and history. He hopes
that by painting Penang, we further conserve the beautiful story and heritage
of this Pearl
of the Orient and not to just make way for modernization. His exhibition promises to be spectacular as
he has captured our streets, buildings and heritage. Well versed with the story
of our glorious island, his artwork definitely showcases Penang
in all its rich culture and beauty. As Charles modestly puts it, “My paintings
are beautiful because Penang is Beautiful.”
Note:
20 pieces
of his painting will be displayed at the Jin Xiu Art Gallery
from the 26th November to 11th December. His paintings
pay tribute to Penang’s most celebrated sites.
Article
written by Nadia Rosli for Penang Passion
For more information on his exhibition click here.