J
ō is a triptych, three tatami-sized tapestries made from nettle fibre, which depict details from two paintings created in Mallorca by Xavier Deshoulières. This highly poetic ensemble, which was on display at the Santa Catarina bodega this winter, is the result of a unique collaboration between artists and artisans from different countries united by a shared sensibility.
The inspiration for this work came from the pine trees and landscapes of Mallorca. In 2014, Xavier Deshoulières, who had previously painted the urban landscapes of New York and the Andaman jungle, moved to the island, where he found a new lease of life. "Here, you are immersed all the time. I live in a house facing the sea. I had never lived with a garden before." The painter was captivated by the landscapes that surrounded him. During the weekend, he would go hiking in search of new angles and new ways of depicting the landscapes of the Tramuntana mountains.
“I first painted the sea, and then, one painting led to another, and I painted tree bark.” Between Buddhist asceticism and the rigour of a copyist, Xavier Deshoulières deploys an artistic practice of rare temporal rigour. He devotes up to four months of daily work to each canvas: large formats on which he patiently and delicately brings out landscapes and details of remarkable precision. We see the gnarled trunks of trees, the texture of the bark, the branches stretching outwards, the wind blowing through them. These large monochrome formats, which invite us to immerse ourselves in nature, are incredibly precise, as Xavier paints with an ultra-fine brush. “I use colours that are very dense, such as dark blue, purple or dark pink, because I work solely with contrast,” he explains. To avoid any variation in light, the painter works in dim light, which allows him to increase the contrasts.
Xavier's paintings, which unfortunately are rarely exhibited on the island, travel all over the world. France, of course, his country of origin, New York, where the painter lived for several years, Los Angeles, and for several years now, Japan, where his work has been met with success. One of Deshoulières paintings was purchased and is now on display at the prestigious Living National Treasure Museum of Tokyo, dedicated to perfection of craftsmanship. There is something Japanese about his approach to representing nature and his technical mastery.
