In the artistic realm, talents and interests are sometimes passed down through generations. It sure was the case for Gwendoline Finaz de Villaine. After attending Sciences-Po and HEC, this versatile artist embodies both an heritage and an outstanding creativity. Let’s delve into her story.

An Artistic Heritage

Born into a family with three generations of artists, Gwendoline had a grandfather who was a chansonnier and a close friend of Jacques Brel, a father who was a contemporary dancer, and a mother who was a French teacher. Growing up in such an environment undoubtedly opened the doors to her future vocation. From a young age, she took piano, singing, and music lessons.

Recognizing her potential, her parents enrolled her in the Radio France maîtrise program, where she received a part-time education, balancing classical training and Octave Gréard School. “The people who worked there are some of the brightest individuals I’ve ever met in my life” the artist fondly recalls from her apartment overlooking Central Park in New York.

Formative Education

Later, she pursued a more conventional education, obtaining her baccalaureate at Henry IV High School in literature and mathematics. She followed this with a summer program at Sciences Po, where Edouard Philippe, who would become her mentor and professor of law during her fifth year, told her, “You can enter criminal law.” Confident in her success, he encouraged her. However, Gwendoline eventually enrolled in HEC in 2000 through parallel admission. Driven by her artistic DNA and passion, she left the Jouy-en-Josas campus before graduating to pursue her vocation alongside Roger Louret, a prominent producer of artists like Elie Semoun and Murielle Robin, among others.

The Making of a Great Artist

As a director and a significant figure in the musical world, Roger Louret mentored Gwendoline for many years. He taught her the ropes of the trade and propelled her into the industry. After leaving HEC, she dedicated herself to an artistic career with fervor, embarking on a decade of frenetic musical comedies in France and internationally. She played roles in several musical comedies, even securing the lead female role in “Attention mesdames et messieurs” a musical with Michel Fugain performed at the Folies Bergères. Following this success, they recorded an album and toured for six months.

 

Pen and Paper: The Written Chapter of Her Career

After marrying Charles Finaz de Villaine in 2007, Gwendoline turned to writing. With her mother being a French teacher and her innate love for literature, she began to write and published a successful trilogy, “Les brumes de Grandville” through French Pulp, and a fourth novel inspired by a previous trip to India.

  

Creative Boilings: The Works That Built Her Name

Married and a mother of two, Gwendoline and her husband bought a house in Normandy, igniting her passion for art. As a child, she had vowed to decorate her house’s walls with her own paintings, and now she passionately delved into drawing and painting.

In winter 2021, with the world in confinement and museums and exhibition halls closed, Gwendoline decided to conquer the streets. “Galleries may be closed, but street art is open!” And so, she explored the beauty of this open-air art form.

Her strong friendship with the director of culture for the fifth arrondissement, stemming from past collaborative projects, allowed her to undertake numerous projects in the area, including one addressing student food insecurity at the University of Jussieu, resulting in a 30-meter-high mural. This work was a collaboration between Gwendoline, the Sorbonne, and Pierre Rouillet, one of her assistants, who also created a project of creative and socially engaged T-shirts to combat student food insecurity.

Her street art works are ephemeral and destined to be replaced, but they leave a lasting impact due to their temporal nature.

 

In June 2021, HEC commissioned her to create a massive mural celebrating the school’s 140th anniversary. This painting, titled “The Wings of HEC” now adorns the main roundabout on the campus, welcoming all with art and unity. At the inauguration, Gwendoline expressed the symbolism of her work, saying, “I hope this mural allows students to spread their wings and project their dreams into the future, with optimism, confidence, and boundless creativity.”

With her artistic career recognized, she was subsequently selected to paint the wine vats at Château les Carmes Haut Brion in Bordeaux for the renowned Pichet family.

In June 2021, at the initiative of the Book Festival, the director of culture for the fifth arrondissement of Paris entrusted Gwendoline, whom she knew well, with the mission to pay tribute to Joséphine Baker, who had just been interred in the Panthéon. Having a particular affinity for Baker’s career, the artist painted a gargantuan canvas covering the Place du Panthéon. To preserve her memory and work, the artwork was cut into pieces and distributed to Parisians.

On the same square, the following year, in honor of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China and to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, her most ambitious project came to life. Two imposing and monumental dragon sculptures, representing the colors of China, were erected in front of the historic monument. This artwork, a technical combination of polycarbonate and red plexiglass weighing nearly a ton, allowed the artist to reconnect with a country that held a special place in her heart. She had lived there for a year with her family and gave birth to her daughter Gaïa, whom she humorously nicknamed “her daughter Made in China.“

For an even more ambitious project, the young woman returned to China to exhibit one of her new works connected to the Panthéon, the “Mère Dragon.” This massive wooden structure from China was unveiled on none other than one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Great Wall of China.

From her early melodies in a family of artists to her full-time commitment to the creative world, Gwendoline’s story is an ode to perseverance and expression. Her family legacy, her passion for art, and her unwavering determination to follow her own path have led her to create memorable works and inspire others to pursue their dreams with optimism and confidence.

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