Chengdu * Florian, a French artist with a purpose

Sharing a presentation by Florian, a French expat in Chengdu. We would love to see his project of Nativity scene come to life!

“For centuries, art helped build and sustain Western Christian civilization. The great cathedrals of Europe were not merely buildings. They were declarations of faith, identity, and civilization. That legacy has to be carried forward.

Yet, if art can help preserve a civilization, it can also help undermine one.

When I think back to certain works by globalized, politically correct artists, portraying the unimaginable or promoting ideas that contribute to the deconstruction of our cultural heritage, I cannot see them as politically or culturally neutral.

What surprises me today is how long it took me to see this reality for what it was.

Perhaps because I grew up in a France that denies itself, a France that no longer teaches its children to love either their nation or the civilization from which it emerged. I needed to step outside that environment in order to better understand it. In France, the feeling of being alone in seeing certain obvious truths restrained my thinking. It was only after moving to China, and meeting patriots from other countries, that I was able to express convictions I had always carried within me more freely.

Perhaps it is also simply a matter of age and experience. When I observe the propaganda directed at today’s youth—young people whose minds are naturally malleable—I am filled with a mixture of negative emotions. I cannot help but see it as one front in a broader civilizational struggle.

What I first perceived in France, I came to recognize throughout the Western world.

This struggle is unfolding before our eyes across Western nations. It surprises some and even provokes denial among those who fail to understand that our comfort, stability, and way of life cannot be taken for granted. Yet it is merely the natural course of the human cycle: history is far from finished being written.

It is within this context that I place my art.

The nations of the West—each with its own history, culture, traditions, and character—do not need “cultural enrichment,” that political euphemism used to disguise the cultural, demographic, and civilizational transformation currently underway.

What our nations need is to shine. They need to be loved for what they are.

It is in this spirit that I pursue my artistic work.

As a painter and creator, I paint miniatures and build scale dioramas, most often at 1/48 scale. A lifelong enthusiast of science fiction and fantasy, I have devoted most of my work to these imaginary worlds. Today, I wish to bring that same passion and craftsmanship to the service of my own cultural heritage.

Among the projects I hope to create are a Nativity scene, as well as representations of historical figures such as Clovis, Charles Martel, Joan of Arc, and other figures who shaped the history of Europe and the Christian West.

Our Western Christian civilization has given much to the world. It does not need to be transformed in order to be admired. Its history, achievements, and traditions need to be known, passed on, and loved.

Together, let us make our culture resonate. Let us not allow those who despise our heritage to bury a legacy that reminds us of what our civilization is capable of at its best. Let us elevate our love for what our ancestors built, and meet the challenges of our time—challenges that will shape the future of our civilization.

If my work interests you and you would like to get in touch, whether for a personal project or a larger endeavor, you are most welcome.”