Guy Buffet
Guy Buffet was born in Paris in 1943, in the same neighborhood where Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, and Modigliani had once lived. His parents owned a restaurant and were fond of art. As a child he would draw on napkins and tablecloths while his brothers worked in the kitchen. On his twelfth birthday his mother gave him his first box of paints, brushes, an easel, and several canvases. Displaying his paintings on the walls of the family restaurant, he sold his first painting to an American tourist when he was 13. At 14 he transferred from public school to the Beaux Arts de Toulon, then studied advanced painting at the Academie de Peinture de la Ville de Paris. At 18 he joined the French Navy where he became the Navy's official artist and was given the assignment to paint the world. In 1963, after his Navy discharge, he settled in Hawaii when the Cooke family offered to provide him living and studio space. Buffet has produced library murals commissioned by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts; he has been commissioned by many corporations including Aloha Airlines, Gand Marnier, Westin Hotels, and Ritz Carlton Hotels. His images are now commissioned for a wealth of items from men's dress ties and shirts, to dinner plates, coffee cups, postcards, calendars, and women's wear. He is the official artist for Champagne Perrier-Jouet with his work gracing each decorative gift box. Some of his works are whimsical images depicting the folklore of the Hawaiian people, animals and events. Other works are of French sommeliers, chefs and waiters, capturing the spirit and passion of the French people and their love of fine cuisine. Buffet also paints other French scenes such as images of the Tour de France, golfers and other sporting events such as the Olympics. Buffet's art reflects his love of travel, foreign cultures, fine restaurants, and a joie de vivre.
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