In a classic case of East meets West, a French designer has joined forces with a Taiwanese chief executive to create objets d’art meant to open the world’s eyes to new possibilities.
About four years ago, French designer Jean Boggio’s impression of China was based on museum artworks he had seen as a child, but when he met Francis Chen (陳立恆), founder of Franz Collection Inc (法藍瓷), his career took on a new dimension.
Chen and his company hope to use Boggio’s talent to blend French taste with Chinese design characteristics, creating delicately detailed tableware, furniture and silk accessories featuring rich colors.
PHOTO: CNA
When Chen first met the designer, he knew he had found an ideal partner.
“When I visited Boggio’s studio in his hometown near Lyon in 2005, I immediately fell in love with his works,” Chen told the Central News Agency at a press conference in Taipei.
Their cooperation began at once.
Boggio’s works — particularly his jewelry — have gained unprecedented popularity among porcelain collectors and designers, and his collection has been exhibited in the National Museum of Adrien Dubouche in Limoges in France since 2007, the company said.
“Actually, in the initial stage I was designing my works utilizing my imagination about China, but when I met Chen about four years ago at the Maison & Objet in Paris, a French home-fashion trade show, I had a chance to see the real face of Taiwan and China, and learn the technique of making Chinese porcelain,” Boggio said.
When he arrived in Asia, he saw scenes that were totally different from his imagination.
Taiwan and Shanghai were international metropolises and were “even more modern than most countries in Europe,” he said.
After traveling to the company’s factory in Xiamen, Fujian Province, to work with local craftsmen and embrace the skills of Chinese porcelain-making, Boggio said his work started to change.
“I have started to design three-dimensional works since I began working with the company,” he said.
Originally trained as a goldsmith and silversmith, Boggio said he loves to use his hands to make artworks.
“I design my work first on paper, then I make a real one by hand,” he said.
The native of Lyon has also worked behind the scenes at respected tableware companies such as Baccarat and Haviland, and also for luxury goods maker Les Heritiers.
From his workshop in the Beaujolais region, he now specializes in jewelry, a passion of his since 1984, and has worked on the development of the Jean Boggio for Franz brand since 2006.
“So far I have made over 400 items for Jean Boggio for Franz during this period, and one of them, Extraordinary Garden, has opened the door for me to the world design field,” Boggio said.
The work has received widespread acclaim and many honors.
Displaying his intense passion for design, the principal feature of Boggio’s works is the portrayal of the bright and colorful side of life, which is why “collectors cannot resist his products,” the company said.
“I expect to raise this traditional Chinese art to new heights, to show the world the beauty a Taiwanese porcelain brand can reach through our cooperative endeavors,” Chen said.
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