French artist Claire Vassort: silk painting, American attitudes and hang gliding

By Mason Edwards, The Chattanooga Times Free Press

“Roll Out the Green Carpet,” a silk painting by Claire Vassort

For French-born artist Claire Vassort, painting is about movement -- both in life and on silk. A former hang glider pilot for 30 years, she first came to Chattanooga for its outdoor scene and quickly felt at home living in America. "I love the can-do attitude and the rich culture of the [American] melting pot," Vassort, a dual-citizen, says. "I love the vast wild spaces and the lack of overwhelming regulation."

Born in Châteaudun, France, Vassort draws inspiration from her cultural roots, including the silk painting movement of the 1980s that first captivated her as a teenager.

Traditionally an Asian art form, silk painting is unique in that the layers of paint change the texture of silk fibers, rather than dyeing them. Vassort's silk paintings begin as a white canvas of fabric, hand-stretched and strengthened using a special technique. She applies Gutta, a thick, latex-based substance, to define forms, then layers watercolor-like dyes, creating vibrant compositions full of texture and contrast. Trees frequently appear in her work -- a symbol of resilience and a witness to human activity.

Her piece "Roll Out the Green Carpet" was inspired by a tree tunnel on one of her hikes, and it serves as a metaphor for prioritizing the environment. "When I pick my colors, I focus on contrast, texture and the message," she explains. "That's the role of the artist in general -- to be a witness that brings their own observations and interpretation to the public."

A full-time artist, Vassort shares her practice by doing commissions and public art projects and by teaching workshops.

Find Claire Vassort's work at clairevassort.com, on Facebook at Claire Vassort or on Instagram @clairemvassort.