Jean-Claude Lagrange, mayor of Sanvignes, is a curious man who pays close attention to the souls that make his community's heart beat. Intrigued by an exhibition of a painter and sculptor at the André Malraux library, he picked up his phone and searched for Michel Lasne.
The screen returned a name from another century: Michel Lasne, a draftsman-engraver born in Caen in 1590. With a knowing smile, Lagrange exclaimed, "You are his reincarnation!" Michel Lasne-Desvareilles remained thoughtful for a moment. No, he has no blood connection with this illustrious engraver – just a namesake. And even then, his full name is Lasne-Desvareilles.
Originally from Digoin and now living in Saint-Yan, this contemporary artist charts his own path between pigments and light. Like his historical namesake, he too is inhabited by art. As both painter and sculptor, he moves forward with modesty, without fanfare, driven by the simple desire to bring happiness to those who encounter his work.
He never took classes, so how, he says laughing, could he give any? As a child, he was already dabbling his dreams in gouache. Today, he still defines himself as a full-fledged artist without seeking a formal definition. His style is uniquely his own. "I draw inspiration from myself," he confides. Nevertheless, he holds deep admiration for Louis Werner, his painter of choice.
With a mischievous grin, he adds, "All great artists are born under the sign of Libra" – citing Caravaggio, Watteau, Goya, Chagall, and of course, Michel Lasne-Desvareilles himself. "Painting and sculpting are innate to me," he says simply.
A former carpenter and boilermaker, he works with materials using the same precision he once applied to wood or metal. At seventy-three years old, he paints as he gardens, sculpts as he fishes, and creates as naturally as he breathes. Extravagant just enough, he knows how to see beauty in all things. He gives love and enjoys sharing it.
Self-taught to his fingertips, Michel Lasne-Desvareilles paints with emotion and sculpts with tenderness. His approach breaks from conventional paths – instead of tubes lined up on the table, he uses paint cans, Valentine brand paint to which he adds linseed oil. It's a simple, sincere alchemy that reflects his character.
Michel Lasne-Desvareilles is quite a character, a poet of materials to be discovered without hesitation, like opening a door to a world of colors. One enters with a light heart, finding joy in his unique artistic vision that bridges his working-class background with his natural creative gifts.
