English by Sarah A. Matheson
Translated by Ada Tian
Images courtesy of Gorman Studios and Gracie Studio
Precious exotic items from China such as fine porcelain, silks, and lacquer panels, started to trickle into Europe starting in the early 16th century, and these decorative items quickly gained popularity with Europe’s aristocracy. By the late 18th century, almost all of Europe’s great houses had at least one room with Chinese wallpaper, normally women’s bedrooms, and so did many of Europe’s more modest homes.
English and French manufacturers sought to capitalize on this demand for Chinese wallpaper and started producing imitations. The word Chinoiserie derives from “chinois,” French for Chinese, and is used today for the style of decorative art that was inspired by these Chinese designs and the exotic notions Europeans held about China. Despite the name Chinoiserie, European artists did not differentiate between different designs and often mixed motifs from China, Japan, and other East Asian cultures to create whimsical motifs and vignettes in damasks, toiles, and other materials.
Contemporary Chinoiserie
Today, a select few artists in the Western world are continuing the tradition of this decorative art form. Peter Gorman of Gorman Studios in Vancouver is one such artist who creates beautiful hand-painted Chinoiserie wallcoverings that bring exceptional elements to contemporary homes.
“It is a theme and a subject within the decorative arts and people’s homes that is cross-cultural and cross-century, which is what makes Chinoiserie such an example of continuity and constant rebirth, like a phoenix. A phoenix comes into its full blossom and then disappears and then comes back again,” he said.
The opulence and delicacy of Chinoiserie, with its fine detail and fine line work, historically featured gold, gold powders, and semi-precious metals. Today, it still springs from a mainly artisan-based industry.
A lot of the interest comes from the novelty of the challenge and from artists wanting to learn Chinoiserie because it is the gold standard, Gorman said.
