In the run-up to Christmas, we spoke to five inspiring personalities about themselves, their backgrounds and their selection of Studio Artera favorites they'd love to have under the tree.
"On my Christmas list this year, I've chosen..."
I took the entrepreneurial step in 2019 to bring to life an idea that had been germinating in me for several years: to create a brand of premium ready-to-drink cocktails made in France. So I launched Le Barteleur in early 2020 with 4 cocktails available. Now you can all enjoy a great cocktail at home, all you need is a glass and 3 ice cubes, and you're all set. You can follow our adventures on Instagram @lebarteleur!
I was lucky enough to have a mother who would take me with her to stroll around Paris museums as a child. Having grown up in the Paris suburb of Chatou, I immediately loved Renoir's Lunch of the Boaters, painted in 1880 on the Impressionists' island... in Chatou. To my mind, this painting reflects a scene of joy, sharing and friendship that fits in well with the way I imagine human relationships. A timeless scene.
If you shake up a good dose of creativity and a hint of whimsy, if you add a quest for balance, a shrewd art of blending, freedom of expression, and researched techniques of elaboration... it's likely that you can think of mixology as an art. An art of sharing and pleasure, without a doubt.
Creation: I've always loved working with creative people, and respecting their art. We need this creativity to embellish our daily lives, to make the superfluous indispensable, to give meaning to objects. Combining the beautiful and the useful, even the useless.
Freedom: each artist is free to propose his or her vision of art, without constraint. This gives profound meaning to their work. And we're also all free to have our own opinion about his or her work.
Interpretation: the artist interprets the world around him in his own way, with his own vision, sensitivity and technique. And we are all free to interpret his creations with our vision, our feelings, and our personal history.
Itchi's couple:
These two gazes, which we can only partly guess at, push our imagination to find out more about the scene. Every time I look at this work, I imagine a different scene.
Peau Souffle by Béatrice Bissara:
I really like the play on matter and the visual depth she creates. Sometimes I even feel like I'm immersed in a night sky from a Van Gogh painting, it's all a matter of interpretation and sensitivity.
Draperie de féminité by Raphaëlle Anfré:
A rather cheerful canvas, despite the intensity of the blue. A work that mixes shapes and lets our imagination travel. This painting offers us an infinite palette of interpretations.
I really appreciate the magic of Christmas. A time when we get together with family and friends, a sort of enchanted interlude in our lives. Santa's surprises create unique moments, which I don't want to remote-control, so let him be free to make his own choices. And if he wants to come and hang a pretty picture in my living room on the night of December 24, let him feel free :)
