By Alfred Roubec (May 25, 2011)
For a few more days, until May 25, a new exhibition by the painter Jano Xhenseval is being held in the Hall of the Cognacq-Jay Foundation Hospital in Paris (15, rue Eugène Million, 15th arrondissement). This is a noteworthy event, not only because exhibitions by the artist are rare but also due to the exceptional quality of her work. The exhibition poster is available on her website: View Poster.
Don’t miss this opportunity: the hall is practically open all day. The journey through the artist’s work offers a unique experience in today’s visual arts landscape, comparable only, perhaps, to the works of her sculptor friend, Jean-Marie Tézé.
Is there a more challenging art form to analyze today than painting, particularly contemporary styles? How does one effectively discuss painting, shapes, techniques, meaning, and exploration in an era where it’s often said that everything has already been done, where traditional rules dissolve before the creative act? Even in music, frameworks remain to define genres and guide audiences.
In contrast to contemporary trends, the Walloon artist revisits the rules—drawing from the history of her art, medieval and Renaissance traditions, Matisse, Japanese prints, and Indian paintings. Her work reflects on vision, color, and light, encompassing all elements of reality: mineral, aquatic, vegetal, or cosmic. Her meticulous exploration is driven by deep conviction, a journey where she sculpts not only her works but her own strikingly beautiful and spiritually powerful personality.
Jano Xhenseval says, "My childhood painting teacher would say, ‘Today, we will learn to make shadows.’ I never heard him say, ‘We will learn to paint light.’ One doesn’t learn light; it is given, reserved from the first day of the world, introduced before the artwork—liquid, initial, a cradle for the soul. There’s nothing to say or spread about it: it speaks!”
Her quest for light is evident in her canvases and drawings, spanning decades and forming a fascinating retrospective and an excellent introduction for newcomers. The artist is a poet of colors and light. With gestures inspired by Matisse and her mentor Bazaine, she unfolds her vision, working with the interplay of matter and perception, embracing reflections, brilliance, changes in light, orientation, texture, and relief.
Using varied materials like canvas, wood, and sanded surfaces, she creates spaces, movement, rhythm, and intricate color harmonies. Her paintings are like musical compositions, resonating with celestial and enchanting melodies. The titles of her works reflect rarity, excellence, and creative solitude: "Finistère" (the end of the world), "Pousse en sol rare," "Diamantelle," "Cil-en-ciel" (doubled with "Silencièle"), and "Petit gravier d’eau douce." Her drawings, created with urgency using Chinese ink on water, showcase majestic and striking portrayals, blending movement and expression from models, trees, and mountains with an almost oriental, profound style.
A text by Fra Angelico invites visitors to follow the artist's journey of precision. The connection between the words of the Italian painter and this Franco-Belgian artist is profoundly moving.
Jano Xhenseval’s pursuit of excellence comes at a high price. Her biography intersects with her work in the challenging material conditions of her life. Wood, being more affordable than canvas, becomes her primary medium, and she often remarks on the expense of color.
France honors its poets... once they’re gone. Sadly, it seems this may also be true for its artists. In 2011, Jano Xhenseval’s commitment leads her to the brink of poverty, much like the passionate Bernard Palissy during the Renaissance. The best way to fight this injustice is to visit her works, immerse yourself in her world of light and rhythm, and let her paintings’ messages guide and nourish you like a patient and benevolent oracle.