An artist who uses lacquer to give works a new sheen

Cazeneuve's first exhibition, titled The Enduring Practices of Lacquer, took place at Galerie Dumonteil's Shanghai space in 2018 and its Paris venue in 2019. Both received critical acclaim.

In the 10-minute documentary film, Lacquer Man, Cazeneuve can be seen moving through the mountains and forests of Chongqing, where farmers grow lacquer trees. Cazeneuve built his studio nearby and it was there that he applied lacquer on a wide range of chosen materials, exploring the endless possibilities of their combination.

Born in Toulouse, France, Cazeneuve studied at Ecole des Metiers d'Art in Revel. He opened a studio specializing in the restoration of Western and Asian lacquer wares before moving to Chongqing in 2009 to learn more about the material.

Since his childhood, Cazeneuve has observed the world through the sense of touch and has always been very sensitive to different textures.

"I love the roughness, also the extreme softness of the polished lacquer," says the artist. "But most of all, it is the combination of all those different textures that give a strong sense of touch in my works."

Although visitors are not allowed to touch his artworks during the exhibitions, Cazeneuve finds it funny that "people can't resist touching my artwork, even in Europe".