| Guy Buffet was born
in Paris on January 13, 1943. His parents were in the restaurant business
and were fond of art. Guy Buffet learned early that his neighborhood had
once been the home of such artistic figures as Chagall, Matise, Picasso,
and Modigliani. "At home there was always talk about these famous painters,"
he says, "and I used to listen to these conversations while doing my homework
at the kitchen table. I remember drawing on napkins and the linen tablecloths
while my brothers were busy with kitchen preparations." On his twelfth
birthday, his mother gave him his first box of paints, a couple of brushes,
a wooden
easel, and several canvases. The young Buffet was soon displaying paintings
on the walls of the family restaurant. He sold his first watercolor painting
to an American who was visiting the family restaurant that next year. At
age 14 he was transferred from public school to the famed Beaux Arts de
Toulon and later studied advanced painting in Paris. By age 18, he joined
the French Navy where his artistic abilities were so distinguished, he
was
named the official artist of the French Navy and given the prestigious
assignment to "paint the world." Cinematic Hawaiiana "In the South Pacific,
while I was on shore leave and hitchhiking with some fellow sailors," Buffet
says,
"we were picked up by a motorist who was the mayor of the city. After visiting
the ship and seeing some of my paintings, the mayor talked to the captain
and got permission for me to put on an exhibit in town." From this came
a series of one-man exhibitions in exotic Tahiti and New Caledonia. Afterwards,
the French Navy helped organize his first exhibition in the Hawaiian Islands
introducing Buffet to what he called "Paradise." The year was 1963 and
the rest, as they say is history. Guy soon settled in this "Hawaiian
Paradise" after the prominent Cooke family offered to provide him
living and studio space after his Navy discharge. What followed were several
commissions
from
the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts which emblazoned major
murals at libraries across the state of Hawaii. France and Cafés Suites
Of his paintings, Buffet says, "I invite the viewer to share my experience.
I take you into my world like a guest into my home. I want you to be
comfortable,
relaxed, happy; to forget about problems and sorrows. If you like it and
want to come back, my world is yours." Guy has also been commissioned
by many corporations including Aloha Airlines, Grand Marnier, Westin
Hotels,
and Ritz Carlton Hotels. He has literally toured the world with one-man
shows and exhibitions. One can feel the international influence of
his Hawaiian
creations, reminiscent of the French master Gaugin who depicted Polynesia
from Tahiti generations earlier. Enthralled with the history and culture
of the islands, Buffet continues to create famous images depicting the
folklore of the Hawaiian people, animals and events. Buffet’s whimsical
Hawaiian world is where cows wear flower leis and bellow, "Amoo-ha!" and
road signs bear, "Baby Pig Crossing" to allow mama piglet and her babies
to cross a country road. His vibrant color palette helps evoke a playfulness
that brings
out the child in every aficionado. While some of his other works are positively
Polynesian, a great deal of it is decidedly derived from his French
heritage.
Depicting French sommeliers, chefs, and waiters mid-shift, Guy consistently
captures the spirit and passion of the French people and their love
of fine
cuisine. Varieties Vineyards Guy’s images are now commissioned for a wealth
of items from men’s dress ties and shirts, to dinner plates, coffee cups,
postcards, calendars, and women’s wear. Buffet is also the official artist
for Champagne Perrier-Jouet with his work gracing each decorative gift
box. |
