Why BÔ ?

When I was a child, I often walked barefoot in nature, that’s why this garden so speaks to me, for nature’s pregnancy. A garden is a place to sow, to plant, to create, to welcome the four seasons, where you can observe life, from seed growth up to tree. An area to gather many places with plants, insects and human. A place for recreation between man and nature.

BÔ designates a powerful old tree, which unfolds vast branches, from which root branches grow plunging to the ground, joining the roots in the earth to form an incredible house-forest, welcoming and alive. It is the tree of life, symbol of wealth and awakening.

I was born in a village in Yunnan on the border with Tibet where I lived all my childhood, where people live who perpetuate primitive cults, where all creatures, all things, are a spirit: the sun, the moon , water, earth, mountains, trees, and flowers… life unfolds around different colorful ceremonies. Man and nature unite. Man and nature harmony is the basis of this culture.

During festival, around big tree, the village’s wise placed a little coloured idol and some ethnic symbol’s things. The place was decorated with fruits, tropical flowers and some food bringed by families on green banana leaves.This day, family members weared embroided suits, from head to foot. All bodies were like a marvelous palace, decorated with birds, butterflies, animals, plants on hats, straps, shoes, belts…all colorfoul embroideries, like happiness symbols. It looked like a land art. To the beat of drums, people started to danse, I saw these elements flying with bodies movement, these joy energies invading the place. I found it magical. These “Happiness” memories coming from my childhood are fixed in my mind. It becames my first inspiring place for art. This real space give me unlimited imagination, it is also great influence to the construction of my world from child to adult.

After leaving China and settling in France eighteen years ago, I wanted to create a place dedicated to the primitive peoples of Yunnan with whom I grew up, and to the French people with whom I live today.

My daughter’s birth and my double culture gave me the idea to create an imaginary garden to transmit her these values. This double birth between my daughter and the garden becames the way to create BÔ- Le jardin imaginaire.

This garden is dedicated to my mother and my three children

What is BÔ?

BÔ – Le Jardin Imaginaire is a series of installations and monumental sculptures that recreate an imaginary, dreamlike world, an open-air garden-museum without walls or borders.
It will eventually comprise 21 colorful sculptures, ranging from 2 to 5 meters in height.
Each will have its own story and symbolism.
They will be linked by walkways, they will communicate with each other, plantings will be laid out between the sculptures, some will be animated, for interaction with natural elements such as light, wind and rain, together creating the spirit of this artistic Imaginary Garden: harmony between man and nature.

Pre-project realization BÔ

Collaboration with Pierre Lignier (Mayor of Villars-Fontaine) in 2018, for the realization of the pre-project on their Karrière site (former 3.5 ha quarry, purchased by the mayor in 2016. This site has found a second life dedicated to Art. Open to the public since 2017).
The BÔ pre-project, comprising 8 monumental sculptures, was realized during the Festival de la Karrière between 2018 and 2023.
Manufactured in collaboration with Prelud.

BÔ – two locations

1st location: La Karrière® pre-project in Villars Fontaine

8 sculptures have already been completed between 2018 and 2023, with the project scheduled for completion in 2028.