Colart France: artist collaborations follow-up

Colart France is excited to share with you some news and exhibits from our recent Artist Collaborators: Enzo Certa for Lefranc Bourgeois, Yoann Merienne for Lefranc Bourgeois, and Mario Picardo for Winsor & Newton.

Yoann Merienne – Lefranc Bourgeois

Many of you may remember Yoann Merienne from his film “Sculpt the light with black and white” for Lefranc Bourgeois oil paints at the beginning of 2019. The campaign garnered impressive digital appeal, surpassing our KPIs with a reach of 3,000,000 and almost 50,000 views of the YouTube video!

The canvas Yoann painted during the film was on view in the artsy Marais district of Paris in the beginning of December by Galerie Bayard, with a special solo show in a location scouted specifically for his greyscale oil paintings. The opening was also the launch of the Artist’s first major publication, a catalogue including several references to his collaboration with Lefranc Bourgeois, photos from the film shoot in his studio, and special thanks.

French Residencies at Head Office in Summer 2019

Those at Head Office this summer met Artists Enzo Certa & Mario Picardo, who were on residency in our studio spaces.

Enzo Certa

Enzo Certa first collaborated with Lefranc Bourgeois back in 2017, as one of the guest artists invited to participate in the oil relaunch event at the Fine Arts School of Paris (ENSBA / Beaux-arts Paris), then in his third year of study at the institution. The canvas he painted during the event can be seen in the Lefranc meeting room in Le Mans.

In 2018, the collaboration was highlighted in LB’s oil paint mediums campaign.

In June 2019, Enzo graduated with honors in painting and was recommended by his advising professor, Artist Tim Eitel, to The Fine Art Collective Head Office Residency Programme. Lefranc Bourgeois has a longstanding partnership with the respected arts institution, which was very happy to renew the residency opportunity for its students and graduates, following the participation of artists Jean-Charles Bureau and Claire Nicolet in 2016. Applicants were asked to apply for the residency, share with the French team why the residency would benefit both their career and our brand, and what they hope to achieve during this month-long, immersive experience.

In London, Enzo delved into the prestigious museum collections and tried out new Lefranc Bourgeois products, such as Flashe, in a new mixed media series.

In December, Enzo was awarded a solo exhibition at the St. Eustache Church of Paris by Rubis Patrons for his artwork on the nativity. Enzo’s work is on view through February 2020.

Mario Picardo

Following Mario Picardo’s August Winsor & Newton Graphic Arts Residency at Head Office, he returned to a 1000 m2 Parisian warehouse-turned-artist’s studio to paint an important commission: Hermès flagship shop’s Christmas window design. Located in central Paris, in the French President’s and foreign Ambassadors’ chic neighborhood, the store windows attract much attention during the sparkling Christmas season, and the selected artist is always kept top secret till the curtain goes up. Mario knew the project was up-coming at the time of his London residency, and his W&N creative work done in the studio largely contributed to the window designs, notably with Promarker for all the preparatory drawings and colors. His creations are on view throughout the holiday season, should you pop over to the capital to see the lights. The French & Winsor Brand teams are currently in post-prod on the films from Mario’s residency: stay tuned for the 2020 Graphic Arts campaign!