Gods and Dolls
By Ellen Turner Hall
In the black interior of St. Cyprien’s Collection Desnoyer, figures appear suspended in space, continents and centuries intertwine, spirits are evoked.
Kachinas Hopi – Zuni is an exhibition of ritual objects from North and South America. The kachina doll, fashioned in wood, painted with signs, adorned with feathers, is a magical icon, a connection to nature and everything in the universe. Serving the same spiritual function, are fragments of cloth decorated with warriors, birds and fish – emblematic designs of native cultures.
The exhibition, from 12 May to 31 August, combines the pre-Colombian art of the Desnoyer Collection and the private collection of contemporary artist Claude Parent-Saura.
An artist “possessed” by his possessions, Parent-Saura experiments with creating his own totems. In this show Parent-Saura’s latest art projects in paper, ceramic or cloth are seamlessly juxtaposed with 1000-year-old tapestries. (Don’t miss the two catlike creatures –all arched back, teeth and claws.)
Paper and coloured pencils lie in a magic circle, inviting you to enter into the atmosphere…
