For Immediate Release, 7 November 2017 — (Hagåtña, Guam) Nearly eight decades after his first visit to Micronesia, the Guam Museum is pleased to announce its new exhibition of a collection of over 160 artworks by French artist Paul Jacoulet (1896-1960) at the Guam Museum’s Changing Exhibition Gallery. “Paul Jacoulet: Vision of Micronesia and Asia” will run from November 10, 2017 to January 7, 2018.
Born in Paris and raised in Japan, Paul Jacoulet was the first European artist to master Japanese traditional ukiyo-e woodblock printing techniques. He is best known for his depictions of “South Seas” islanders and landscapes, intricate and delicate designs and masterful use of color in one of the most technically challenging art forms ever developed.
Jacoulet first traveled to Chuuk in 1929 and in the years following, began producing watercolors and sketches that would become the basis for his life’s work up until his death in 1960. In 1934, he published his first — and one of his most beloved — series of prints featuring portraits of seven CHamoru women dressed in traditional mestisas representing the various colors of the rainbow.
Motivated by a desire to capture a vision of a paradise disappearing through the forces of modernization and change, Jacoulet’s work shows great attention to detail — from Micronesian tattoo designs, to colors and textures of shell ornaments and jewelry, to the fine mesh of a piña fiber blouse. Jacoulet also traveled through Asia, including China, Korea and Indonesia, and produced several intricate portraits of individuals from different walks of life. This current exhibition will feature “The Rainbow Series” as well as numerous prints, sketches and watercolors, reflecting Jacoulet’s breadth of work throughout the region.
“Jacoulet’s work is amazing and offers a little something for all kinds of art enthusiasts and collectors. In fact, this exhibition is a collaborative effort of some of our local Jacoulet enthusiasts here in Guam,” said Museum Director Dominica Tolentino. “This exhibition is an opportunity to see a large number of Jacoulet prints in one space, but also a way to introduce Jacoulet’s work to a new and diverse audience.”
For more information, or to schedule a docent-led tour of the exhibition, contact the Senator Antonio M. Palomo Guam Museum and CHamoru Educational Facility at 671.989.4455, or visit http://www.guammuseum.org. Museum Hours are Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.
