Géraldine Garçon loves exploring new places. Proof of this is the two books — Croatia which was printed in 2005 and Travel to Turkey which was published in 2006 by Magellan and Company.
But she has been to many different places and when she found herself in Oman, she cannot help but venture into destinations most people would usually not pay attention to.
She is thousands of miles away from her home and studio in the South of France. Spending about 35 days in Oman with her photographer husband, she’s gotten to know Muscat and the surrounding areas intimately and as an artist, the visit resulted to “Les encres exploratrices” or Ink Explorers — a collection of around 30 pieces 10 of which were shared work with local and prolific calligrapher Abdulaziz al Maqbali.
“The exhibit will be launched on February 18 in Bait al Baranda. It is the result of my almost month-long stay in Oman visiting different destinations. Most of the sketches and art pieces are however centred around Muttrah and Muscat but definitely all about Oman,” she shared.
Geraldine specialised in Engraving, one which she enrolled and studied at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Participating in numerous workshops and individual exhibitions, she refined her skills over the years and has led an engraving workshop in South Africa.
As a result, in 2007, she won first prize at the Biennale de l’Estampe in Saint-Maur because of the engraving piece she called “Latence.”
“I’m a French drawer and printmaker. I have lived in different places before and eventually settled in a little city in the south of France. I have always drawn, as far as I can remember. As a little girl, I copied comic covers. Very naturally I chose to study art without second thoughts,” she said.
“I draw with pencil, ink and watercolour — whatever I can find. I like to carry all of my stuff in a little bag. I also do etching — that means that I work on copper plates, engraving the drawings to make small editions of prints,” she shared.
In order to successfully become an engraver, she has to invest in a small studio equipped with her own press.
“I love to go travelling. During these travels, I collect impressions, sketches and ideas. I like to be outside — to meet people and work with natural light. This process can be challenging because you don’t have control over circumstances. When you’re drawing people, they can always leave. Because it is an open space, it can always rain. This is why it’s challenging what I do. But for etching, it is the exact opposite. I work in a quiet studio recomposing the images, trying to fill in the missing details or removing unnecessary parts from the preparatory sketches,” she said.
She added, “My style is representing the reality which I find rich and complex. My images were of a special or particular moment and my work, they are always open for interpretation.”
“A few of the pieces on the exhibit is a collaborative work with Abdulaziz, a great Omani calligrapher. It was an amazing experience having to work with him. The collection is mostly of Muscat and my one month stay here, I enjoyed walking the streets of Muttrah where most of my inspiration came from,” she said.
The exhibit will run until February 28 at Bait al Baranda. Geraldine plans to exhibit some of the watercolours in France.
She added, “Next, I’ll go back home to France where it’s winter. I will choose from my Omani drawings the ones I find very interesting. It is from these selections that I would do a series of etchings. I need my studio to do so,” she said.
To know more about Geraldine’s work or the exhibit, visit Centre Franco-Omanais (CFO) Facebook page or visit her website http://www.gg-gravure.com.
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