Meet the Qrafties: Fabienne Veryepe, Acrylic Artist in Hong Kong
June 2020 | 3 Mins Read
Fabienne Veryepe is a self-taught artist in Hong Kong. Fabienne came from Tourcoing and she was a primary school teacher in France. She moved to Shanghai together with her husband in 2009 and they have been living in Hong Kong since 2014. Fabienne became a full time artist when she moved to Hong Kong and founded diFV-art in 2017 to share her artwork with more people.
Fabienne find her inspiration from many of the local sceneries in Hong Kong, a place she called her new home. The iconic skyline, the Ding Ding tramways, the busy streets full of neon signs and the local markets. Fabienne enjoys painting with Acrylics and Watercolours. On top of painting on canvas, she also enjoys painting on traditional mailboxes which becomes one of her signature artwork.
When did you start painting and what do you enjoy the most about it?
My mom gave me my first (and current) easel as well as some art related materials such as reference book, brushes and acrylic tubes for my 18th birthday. Painting wasn’t a big part of my life at that time tho. I started painting more often when I was having my second maternity leave in Shanghai. I really enjoy the process of painting and feel the bubble of creativity. I feel I can create better pieces of artwork when I am painting with no specific guidelines where I can just move my brush freely on the canvas.
Why do you enjoy painting Hong Kong sceneries? Would you paint sceneries of your home town too?
As an artist, I pay attention to things around me and things I see. It is a way I nourish my creativity. I love taking photos and capture the beautiful sceneries I see when I am exploring the city and use them as a reference when I create a piece of painting. Therefore I love painting many of the local sceneries. As I have been away from my home town for quite some time, it is hard for me to get inspiration.
How would you describe your signature artwork?
I tried to remain the sceneries as close to the reality as possible, like you can tell the well-known buildings that dotted the Hong Kong Skyline from my painting or the double deck ding ding in the neighbourhood. Having said that, I have always added the diFV-art touch to my creations. Many of my paintings are created with the use of vibrant colours and black outline to reinforce the contrasts.
What is the most memorable responses you had for your artwork?
I would say it is more a compliment in action more than in words. It touches my heart when people fall in love with my artwork and decided to bring it home. it means even more to me when they follow my art journey and make a second purchase.
How has your practice in painting change over time ?
As a self-taught artist, I have tried to improve my painting through learning different techniques but I find the most important thing is to go with how you feel and not to change your personal style.
Have you always been an artist?
I wanted to be a bookseller when I was a teen and I didn’t think that I can become an artist at that time. I had several jobs before but I have never felt that work can be so fulfilling until I started diFV-art.
As a Mother of two, how do you find balance between family and work?
We consider diFV-art as a family project so each family members contribute to it. My daughters accompany me when I host a market booth or when I run workshops. They helped me to take photos of my artwork as well as some behind the scene photos to share on my social media page. My husband (of course!) is my biggest fan and he provides me a lot of support. We work as a team so while I am working a lot on diFV-art, we are also having some joyful family time together.
“I had several jobs before but I have never felt that work can be so fulfilling until I started diFV-art. ”
Which Artist inspired you the most?
The first artist who really inspired me is Vaco Baisaac, an artist from Mauritius. I can resonate with his artwork where he created contracts with bring colours and black outline. For the same reason, I also really like the abstract universe artwork by Joan Miró.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
I don’t really remember a specific piece of advice but I would like to share a quote from Salvador Dali that I like “Have no fear of perfection - you’ll never reach it”.
What are you planning to paint next after creating a series of Hong Kong sceneries and traditional mailbox painting ?
I'm not sure at the moment. I would like to paint more portraits, maybe in a style inspired by Art Deco with the ‘diFV-art’ touch. I have also started a series of seascapes paintings as I am living close to the sea.
What our Qraftie shopper says:
“The mailbox is a wonderful item that has sparked several guests at my home to comment how nice it is and ask who did this and where did I get one? Thank you so much. It is a great piece and I loved how it was wrapped. This was a easy process and hope to purchase more from you in the future.”
WORDS FROM OUR FOUNDER
“Fabienne joined Qraftie during our soft launch period and she has been a very committed member of the Qraftie Community since then. I first met Fabienne at a local market and I was attracted by her Hong Kong sceneries artwork. We had an enjoyable chat over a cuppa afterwards where I got to learn more about her art journey. Fabienne is always on top of the Qraftie initiatives and take cares of things in an efficient way. I find Fabienne to be a very kind and organised person. Fabienne and I talked about doing a painting session together. I don’t often use bright colours in my paintings but Fabienne in some way inspired me to create a vibrant piece of artwork.”
Thank you for being an appreciative reader as always. Meet the Qrafties is a series of Qraftie sellers’ stories, sharing with you the passion and hard work behind the creative works you see in their Qraftie stores. If you enjoy reading this blog post, please share it with your family and friends. Stay tuned on our next Meet the Qrafties story!
About the author
The Qraftie blog aims to provide you stories related to craftsmanship, culture and lifestyle around Hong Kong.
