‘Arty linguist’ Alexandra Etienne combines her love of languages with her dedication to art. French-Australian, fluent in German and Chinese, she was born in Paris but spent most of her life overseas. London is now her ‘ville de coeur’ and base when she is not exploring other art scenes in Europe -eclectic Brussels, Madrid, Ljubljana to name a few of her favourites. For coeur et art’s ‘coup de coeur’ section, she will draw attention to young talent, quirky art spaces and off -the-radar events alongside special features on Buddhist art and China. It was Zhao Wu Ji’s solo show at the Jeu de Paume in 2003 that sparked her fascination for Chinese art for the first time. The calligraphy of the Chinese script inspired her to study the language, which took her to Beijing for 2 years before her MA in Buddhist art at The Courtauld where she could refine her knowledge of East and South Asian aesthetics. Since curating exhibitions in Venice last year and further experience at Sotheby’s, she is currently teaching and leading art tours that reflect her commitment to art as intrinsically public and reachable.
You can reach her at: alexandra@coeuretart.com