Galerie Elsa Vanier in Paris, France, is in tune with the season with a show called Jardins d’Hiver, or “Winter Gardens.” The exhibit features the work of gallery artists Nathalie Dmitrovic, Esther, Karen Gay, Patricia Lemaire, and Laurence and Philippe Ratinaud, as well as perfumes by Ann Gérard and Bertrand Duchaufour. The theme of the garden is meant to cheer us up in the dead of winter, which is a lovely poetic thought.
Susan Cummins: How did you come up with the idea of Jardins d’Hiver, or “Winter Gardens,” as the theme for a show?
Elsa Vanier: We were coming out of a Niessing exhibition, and we needed some diversity. The winter/Christmas exhibition always features a group of jewelers, and because the time of year and the economy are so grim, we definitely wanted color. The name just came to me. I like poetry. In French Jardin d’hiver is a room in a house with lots of windows where you can keep your plants in the winter. It is also a room with a view of the garden, which in winter would be all black and white.