Francoise Ben Arous

Nepal

2013

Françoise Ben Arous is a French born artist. She has traveled worldwide, delving into different local traditional cultures. Her artistic approach is cross-cultural, filtering through her own influences from Matisse and Paul Klee, from the decorativeness of the Art Nouveau style as reflected in Klimt’s paintings, and from the Japanese masters of the Edo period. Spiritualized and refined, her art is a mix of her Western heritage and Eastern Zen philosophy. A world traveler by heart, Françoise made a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, a few years ago, which became a milestone, the turning point of her career. She then began an initiatory journey to find her true self, as a person and as an artist, by profoundly exploring Asia, a continent whose culture she feels is an integral part of her spiritual identity. On that occasion, she discovered the origin of Joss paper, rectangular sheets of hand-made bamboo paper, covered with a very thin layer of metal in gold or silver hues. Later on it became the favorite medium for the creation of her works through the technique of collage. The artist started splitting her time between New York and Hanoi, in search of the best quality paper for her artistic purpose. According to religious practices related to the veneration of ancestors in some Asian countries, Joss paper is to be burnt on funerals or on special holidays, in order to ensure the wealth in the afterlife. Gold spirit money (jin) is offered to both the deceased and higher gods such as the Jade Emperor, while silver spirit money (yin) is given exclusively to ancestral spirits as well as to local deities. A doctor by profession, Françoise Ben Arous is a vibrant artist by choice. Her works emit a positive energy and possess a playful and dreamlike dimension as well as a mysterious and intrinsic musicality.