A comprehensive retrospective showcasing 50 years of artistic work by Limoges-based painter Chagot is currently on display at Gallery Number 3 in downtown Limoges through November 15, 2025. The exhibition, titled "100 Journeys, from 1975 to 2025," features nearly one hundred previously unseen canvases that chronicle the artist's creative evolution since she first began exhibiting her work.
The retrospective was curated by gallery owner Eloi Besse, who recently established his space at 3 Monte-à-Regrets Street in Limoges. Chagot, who is well-known in the local art community, first began exhibiting her work in 1975 at the gallery of Simone Nathan-Ascher, a prominent figure on Adrien Dubouché Street who was considered the soul of the local art scene.
The selection process for the exhibition required careful consideration, as the artist and gallery owner had to choose from the numerous works that fill her studio on Sablard Avenue in Limoges. "You have to know when to let go of things and not keep everything you love," Chagot explained about the difficult process of selecting which pieces to display from her extensive body of work.
Chagot's artistic journey began during her youth when she took Wednesday art lessons with Corrèze painter Maurice Bourgne, following her mother's suggestion. The painter's encouragement and compliments, including his affirmation that "What you're doing is good," convinced the young Josyane to never abandon her emerging passion for art. This early validation set the foundation for what would become a lifelong dedication to painting.
Today, the artist continues to paint almost daily, driven by necessity, curiosity, and love for the medium itself. "What has required the most work from me are my fixed-media pieces, because you have to work backwards, and when I imagined making collages with them, it became even more complicated," Chagot shared, describing one of her most challenging techniques.
The artist works across multiple mediums, including oil paint, pastels, collages, and acrylics. Her inspiration draws from diverse sources, alternating between cityscapes and their representative buildings, nature, music, and her travels. With an intact capacity for wonder and an insatiable attraction to the arts and opera, Chagot nourishes her humanity through both her artistic practice and her parallel career as a lawyer.
This dual professional life offers her unique perspectives, as she moves between the view of Limoges Cathedral from her studio to the view of the courthouse from her law office. Despite her love for travel and cities like Paris, Chagot maintains a deep affection for her hometown. "I love Paris, I love traveling, but the market halls of Limoges, its Saint-Aurélien chapel, the Vienne River and its trees... it's magnificent," she confided.
The exhibition represents not just a showcase of artistic technique, but a testament to five decades of creative evolution. As Chagot herself noted, "I have evolved so much in my choices, my techniques, my materials," reflecting the continuous growth that has characterized her artistic journey since 1975. The retrospective at Gallery Number 3 offers visitors a rare opportunity to witness this evolution through works that have never before been publicly displayed, making it a significant cultural event for the Limoges community and art enthusiasts from the broader Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
