Philippe Sokazo at the Richmond Art Gallery

By Matthew Hoekstra
The French Connection:
Painter pushes boundaries of contemporary art for the sake of mankind

Philippe Sokazo is out to rescue the world from boredom. Dull and dark?
Nuhuh. Try bright and sunny.

Sokazo is a contemporary French painter whose vibrant acrylic paintings of
fluid lines, shapes and bright colours have found life beyond the canvas.
His art has become attached to jewelry, rugs, tiles, cigar humidors, wine
bottles, clothing and even cars.

"It is still a part of my dream to change our everyday life. I think
everything is boring sometimes," says the 45-year-old from his Vancouver
home. His artwork is part of a five artist Richmond Art Gallery exhibition
entitled Shift, Working Through Repetition and Difference, which opens
today. Together, the artists explore change, repetition and perpetual
production, along with themes that include calls for social change. [...]

His artwork made a splash in France thanks to its striking lines, humour and
colour. Soon the winemakers were calling, looking for splashy new labels.
Other product deals followed, including one with Mercedes-Benz, for which he
created energized exterior designs. For the man who wants to splash the
earth with colour, it's hard to say no.

"My life is like that. I try to change my world, a little bit every day," he
says. "All the kids need to have hope, and if they see something
different-not grey but orange-they can say,"Wow we can do anything. We can change the planet." [...]

In France, people love his work. In Canada, he says, people are crazy about it.
"They feel joy inside because of the colours and composition, "he says.
"For me, it's a present to satisfy people."