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Vaco Baissac
Mauritian artist (1940–2023) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Joseph Charles Jacques Desiré Baissac (1940[1] – 4 February 2023),[2] known professionally as Vaco, was a Mauritian artist, best known for his depictions of island life through painting, stained glass, sculpture, jewellery design and ceramics.[3]
Vaco was a defender of the Mauritian Creole language and the idea that all Mauritians can communicate through a common language is integral to the culture of Mauritius, so much so that he said he painted the Creole language and identified as a Creole artist.[4]
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Early life
The eldest of four children, Vaco grew up in Curepipe.[5] His father Yves Baissac was the town architect and his brother Jean Claude Baissac was another well known Mauritian artist.[6]
He attended St Joseph's College, Curepipe and was active in the local art and theater scene from his teens. He left Mauritius in 1964 to study art in Paris and Brussels.[7] Then he moved to Southern Africa where he owned and operated a number of restaurants but was still an active artist. He returned to Mauritius in 1990 and became a full time professional artist in 1994.
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Exhibitions and works
Source:[8]
- 1958 Vaco held his first solo exhibition at the age of 18
- 1960 St. Denis de La Réunion
- 1970 to 1990 Various exhibitions and galleries in Southern Africa
- 1991 First exhibition since returning to Mauritius at Galerie Hélène de Senneville in Grand Baie, Mauritius
- 1992 Salon de St. Leu a La Reunion
- 1993 Salon d’Automne a Paris, France
- 1995 Vaco and his students expose artworks, Port Louis, Mauritius
- 1997 Galerie du Chien de Plomb, Port Louis, Mauritius
- 2001 Exhibits in Brussels and Fribourg
- 2002 Musée Vera in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris
- 2003 ARTE92 in Milan
- 2005 Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Moka, Mauritius
- 2012 VACO expose les Concubines, Réduit, Mauritius
- 2023-2024 – Retrospektiv Vaco (posthumous), Caudan Arts Centre, Ile Maurice
Many visiting dignitaries to Mauritius have received Vaco's artworks including Sepp Blatter,[9] ex head of FIFA, and Pope Francis.[10]
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Awards and decorations
Mauritius:
Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (2023)[11]- Best Visual Artist, Mauritius National Awards ceremony 2018[12]
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References
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