In 1960, Chomo decided to leave Paris for good and settled alone in Acheres-la-Forêt. He named his forest corner «Village d'Art Préludien».
Ecologist before the hour, keeper of bees, he will own up to twenty hives; he works wood (his «burnt wood»), stone, plastics.
Instead of bronze, terracotta and marble, Chomo chose “breathable materials”. Sheet metal, wood, plastic, glass or concrete are sources of permanent discoveries. The sculptor continues his series of burnt wood. He also models grilles that he paints or inlays with molten plastic and various materials. He diverts children’s toys. He uses cellular concrete: «I sculpt it as one writes a poem» he explains to his visitors.
Chomo tackles the architecture and the art of stained glass: he builds three buildings of wood, mesh and bottles, which will serve him to house his many works. The first one is called the “Sanctuary of the Burnt Wood”; the second one, “The Church of the Poor”, is decorated with a spectacular rose window made with coloured bottles; and the last one, “The Refuge”, is covered with car hoods.
The Association of Friends of Chomo was created in October 2015 by Laurent Danchin. It aims to safeguard the Prelude Art Village of Chomo and to promote the work of Chomo by making them known to the public through various events: meetings, exhibitions, publications, conferences, films, concerts and all other artistic projects faithful to the spirit of Chomo.
The guided tours will be provided by Aurélien Demaison, cultural mediator, and Fabrice Azzolin, professor at the Beaux Arts in Nantes and restorer of the Chomo site.