Joseph Charles Jacques Desiré Baissac (1940 – 4 February 2023), known professionally as Vaco, was a Mauritian artist, best known for his depictions of island life through painting, stained glass, sculpture, jewellery design and ceramics.
Vaco was a defender of the Mauritian Creole language and the idea that all Mauritians can communicate through a common language is integral to the culture of Mauritius, so much so that he said he painted the Creole language and identified as a Creole artist.
Early life
The eldest of four children, Vaco grew up in Curepipe. His father Yves Baissac was the town architect and his brother Jean Claude Baissac was another well known Mauritian artist.
He attended St Joseph's College, Curepipe and was active in the local art and theater scene from his teens. He left Mauritius in 1964 to study art in Paris and Brussels. Then he moved to Southern Africa where he owned and operated a number of restaurants but was still an active artist. He returned to Mauritius in 1990 and became a full time professional artist in 1994.
Exhibitions and works
Source:
1958 Vaco held his first solo exhibition at the age of 18
1960 St. Denis de La Réunion
1970 to 1990 Various exhibitions and galleries in Southern Africa
1991 First exhibition since returning to Mauritius at Galerie Hélène de Senneville in Grand Baie, Mauritius
1992 Salon de St. Leu a La Reunion
1993 Salon d’Automne a Paris, France
1995 Vaco and his students expose artworks, Port Louis, Mauritius
1997 Galerie du Chien de Plomb, Port Louis, Mauritius
2001 Exhibits in Brussels and Fribourg
2002 Musée Vera in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris
2003 ARTE92 in Milan
2005 Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Moka, Mauritius
2012 VACO expose les Concubines, Réduit, Mauritius
2023-2024 – Retrospektiv Vaco (posthumous), Caudan Arts Centre, Ile Maurice
Many visiting dignitaries to Mauritius have received Vaco's artworks including Sepp Blatter, ex head of FIFA, and Pope Francis.
Awards and decorations
Mauritius:
Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (2023)
Best Visual Artist, Mauritius National Awards ceremony 2018
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