François-Xavier Richard

Artiste pluridisciplinaire

François-Xavier Richard

Photo by © Offard

  • Craft & Design
  • Cities
  • New York
"And if paper, through its universality, its virginity, allowed a conciliation, a new fusion, a language understood by all, whatever their origins and their paths."
Who?
-

My initial trajectory into theater, stage production, scenography, and performance took an abrupt detour after an encounter with block-printed wallpaper. This art, which had been lost since the 1940s, deserved, in my view, to be revived and protected, both for its connections to our heritage and as a medium for creating new realms. So, in 1999, I founded L’Atelier d’Offard with the goal of reconciling traditional technique with modern technology.  

 

Alongside my wallpaper creations, I conducted ongoing research into the "culturogenic" power of paper, which I viewed as a filter of the tangible and guardian of our imaginations.  I had transformed, ennobled, printed, embossed, coated, shredded, and burnished paper without truly knowing its nature. As I felt my way through the dark, I became transformed into an enlightened amateur in whom I recognized a new avatar.  

 

Out of this quest and through this age-old printing technique, I had come to exalt and love paper as my primary confidant. There remained just one dimension to explore that would help better appreciate and understand it: a voice. I was fortunate enough to spend a four-month residency in Kyoto, at Villa Kujoyama, to explore the sound of washi, the traditional Japanese paper. A paper organ emerged from this fibrous material, expressing in itself the theatricality of the living world.  

 

 

After graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts in Angers, François-Xavier Richard ventured into a wide variety of fields, including scenography, sculpture, drawing, and engraving. His multiple explorations ultimately led to his creation of L’Atelier d’Offard, in 1999, which strives to revitalize and develop traditional block printing, as well as to elevate the medium of paper. He was awarded the Bettencourt-Schueller Prize, the Sema Prize, and the Luxe Prize (for “Talent in Daring”). His studio is a certified Living Heritage Company (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant). In 2017, he was a resident artist at Villa Kujoyama.  

What?
+
Where?
+

In partnership with

Logo Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
Bettencourt Schueller Foundation

Bettencourt Schueller Foundation strives to embody the will of a family, driven by the spirit of enterprise and awareness of its social role, to reveal talents and help them thrive, in three fields that contribute concretely to the common good: life sciences, the arts and solidarity. Both a family foundation and recognized as a public utility since its creation in 1987, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation intends to give wings to talent to contribute to the success and influence of France.

Learn more

villa kujoyama logo 30ans
Villa Kujoyama

Nestled in the heights of Kyoto, Villa Kujoyama is a multidisciplinary artistic residence that has been welcoming established and emerging artists wishing to develop a project in connection with Japan since 1992. More than 400 artists and creators of all disciplines have stayed there since its inauguration and have contributed to the recognition of its expertise as a major place for intercultural cooperation and French-Japanese creation. This year, it celebrates its 30th anniversary through various events and publications in both France and Japan.

 

Learn more

Logo Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
Bettencourt Schueller Foundation

Bettencourt Schueller Foundation strives to embody the will of a family, driven by the spirit of enterprise and awareness of its social role, to reveal talents and help them thrive, in three fields that contribute concretely to the common good: life sciences, the arts and solidarity. Both a family foundation and recognized as a public utility since its creation in 1987, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation intends to give wings to talent to contribute to the success and influence of France.

Learn more