The Sanskrit kāma, a concept from Hinduism, which in Indian classical literature means « desire, craving, wish or yearning », covers much the same semantic field as the Greek Eros. In contemporary literature, kāma usually refers to sexual desire. This is the case of the Kāmasūtra, the Book of kāma or Sūtra of desire.
The term also refers to all sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction, and aesthetic pleasure of life, whether related to dance, music, painting, sculpture as well as nature or perfumes. It is this concept of aesthetic pleasure linked to art, environment, and senses, that we wish to share with you through Kāma Samui.
The Sanskrit kāma, a concept from Hinduism, which in Indian classical literature means « desire, craving, wish or yearning », covers much the same semantic field as the Greek Eros. In contemporary literature, kāma usually refers to sexual desire. This is the case of the Kāmasūtra, the Book of kāma or Sūtra of desire.
The term also refers to all sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction, and aesthetic pleasure of life, whether related to dance, music, painting, sculpture as well as nature or perfumes. It is this concept of aesthetic pleasure linked to art, environment, and senses, that we wish to share with you through Kāma Samui.
The Sanskrit kāma, a concept from Hinduism, which in Indian classical literature means « desire, craving, wish or yearning », covers much the same semantic field as the Greek Eros. In contemporary literature, kāma usually refers to sexual desire. This is the case of the Kāmasūtra, the Book of kāma or Sūtra of desire.
The term also refers to all sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction, and aesthetic pleasure of life, whether related to dance, music, painting, sculpture as well as nature or perfumes. It is this concept of aesthetic pleasure linked to art, environment, and senses, that we wish to share with you through Kāma Samui.
Originally, Ann and Olivier lived between Paris and Bangkok. Eventually, the desire for a more serene life, closer to nature, brought them to settle in the south of Koh Samui.
Olivier is a fine connoisseur in the art world, an area in which he has been involved for more than 35 years. After working for an international architecture and engineering company, then in the luxury hotel industry, he trained in Paris in the early ‘80s with the main Modern Art publishers. His skills were further enhanced by many years of experience working with international art experts and auctioneers.
For more than twenty years, as an independent consultant, he travelled the world in search of works on the international market to enrich private collections. He has collaborated on exhibitions of great masters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Alberto Giacometti, as well as young emerging artists. More recently, for PAD Paris and London, the leading fair for 20th-century art, design, and decorative arts, he selected the works and staged the exhibition space of a Parisian gallery in the spirit of a collector’s cabinet, by subtly mixing ancient Southeast Asian Art, Modern Art and Contemporary Art.
Olivier recognises that the relationship between art and interior design is complex. Although he has unofficially ceased his activity, he remains available to help those like him who have the soul of a collector, or who simply wish to enhance the interior design of their hotel or villa in Samui with works which have a history, artistic value, and personal meaning, rather than decorative objects that could be found anywhere.
Originally, Ann and Olivier lived between Paris and Bangkok. Eventually, the desire for a more serene life, closer to nature, brought them to settle in the south of Koh Samui.
Olivier is a fine connoisseur in the art world, an area in which he has been involved for more than 35 years. After working for an international architecture and engineering company, then in the luxury hotel industry, he trained in Paris in the early ‘80s with the main Modern Art publishers. His skills were further enhanced by many years of experience working with international art experts and auctioneers.
For more than twenty years, as an independent consultant, he travelled the world in search of works on the international market to enrich private collections. He has collaborated on exhibitions of great masters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Alberto Giacometti, as well as young emerging artists. More recently, for PAD Paris and London, the leading fair for 20th-century art, design, and decorative arts, he selected the works and staged the exhibition space of a Parisian gallery in the spirit of a collector’s cabinet, by subtly mixing ancient Southeast Asian Art, Modern Art and Contemporary Art.
Olivier recognises that the relationship between art and interior design is complex. Although he has unofficially ceased his activity, he remains available to help those like him who have the soul of a collector, or who simply wish to enhance the interior design of their hotel or villa in Samui with works which have a history, artistic value, and personal meaning, rather than decorative objects that could be found anywhere.
Originally, Ann and Olivier lived between Paris and Bangkok. Eventually, the desire for a more serene life, closer to nature, brought them to settle in the south of Koh Samui.
Olivier is a fine connoisseur in the art world, an area in which he has been involved for more than 35 years. After working for an international architecture and engineering company, then in the luxury hotel industry, he trained in Paris in the early ‘80s with the main Modern Art publishers. His skills were further enhanced by many years of experience working with international art experts and auctioneers.
For more than twenty years, as an independent consultant, he travelled the world in search of works on the international market to enrich private collections. He has collaborated on exhibitions of great masters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Alberto Giacometti, as well as young emerging artists. More recently, for PAD Paris and London, the leading fair for 20th-century art, design, and decorative arts, he selected the works and staged the exhibition space of a Parisian gallery in the spirit of a collector’s cabinet, by subtly mixing ancient Southeast Asian Art, Modern Art and Contemporary Art.
Olivier recognises that the relationship between art and interior design is complex. Although he has unofficially ceased his activity, he remains available to help those like him who have the soul of a collector, or who simply wish to enhance the interior design of their hotel or villa in Samui with works which have a history, artistic value, and personal meaning, rather than decorative objects that could be found anywhere.
A classic or modern piece of art, properly installed and displayed in a contemporary space, can spark the imagination. It must be pleasant to look at, enriching to contemplate. It doesn’t have to match the environment; it simply has to complete it. But, in order to respect the traditions and sensitivities of each person as much as possible, unlike those who use the image of the Buddha for purely decorative or commercial purposes without really knowing the symbolism or the origin of its representation, before exposing a work or an object historically marked with a « religious » or simply « spiritual » character, it is important to know its theological dimension, the rite to which it belongs.
Art is the noblest means of transmitting the culture of a people. As the oldest mode of communication known to date, it existed long before the advent of language and has witnessed humanity’s great history and narratives. It cannot be denied that Art itself is a language of its own. It communicates where words cannot, it connects where voice fails. What we see on the canvas goes beyond simply conveying our thoughts and emotions, our goals or ambitions; it goes deeper than demonstrating a message or concept. It’s about how we see the world and how we live in it as human beings.
Religions have used art as tools of proselytism, veneration, and decoration of places of worship, and kings, to glorify their regimes, further their warlike conquests, and lavishly decorate their palaces. Though it is in Christian custom to venerate physical manifestations or images, it hasn’t always been that way. In the early ages, Christianity limited its use of material representations of important figures, and there were many attacks on this Christian tradition throughout history. It was Pope Gregory the Great’s efforts and the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 that represented a significant turning point, ultimately decreeing that the adoration of physical images was permissible.
A classic or modern piece of art, properly installed and displayed in a contemporary space, can spark the imagination. It must be pleasant to look at, enriching to contemplate. It doesn’t have to match the environment; it simply has to complete it. But, in order to respect the traditions and sensitivities of each person as much as possible, unlike those who use the image of the Buddha for purely decorative or commercial purposes without really knowing the symbolism or the origin of its representation, before exposing a work or an object historically marked with a « religious » or simply « spiritual » character, it is important to know its theological dimension, the rite to which it belongs.
Art is the noblest means of transmitting the culture of a people. As the oldest mode of communication known to date, it existed long before the advent of language and has witnessed humanity’s great history and narratives. It cannot be denied that Art itself is a language of its own. It communicates where words cannot, it connects where voice fails. What we see on the canvas goes beyond simply conveying our thoughts and emotions, our goals or ambitions; it goes deeper than demonstrating a message or concept. It’s about how we see the world and how we live in it as human beings.
Religions have used art as tools of proselytism, veneration, and decoration of places of worship, and kings, to glorify their regimes, further their warlike conquests, and lavishly decorate their palaces. Though it is in Christian custom to venerate physical manifestations or images, it hasn’t always been that way. In the early ages, Christianity limited its use of material representations of important figures, and there were many attacks on this Christian tradition throughout history. It was Pope Gregory the Great’s efforts and the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 that represented a significant turning point, ultimately decreeing that the adoration of physical images was permissible.
This decision will forever mark the consecration of art universally, as a way of invitation to the sacred, to meditation, to dreams, to surpass oneself, and of course, to see the world. The contemporary American artist Ad Reinhardt perfectly captured art when he said, « Art is art and everything else is everything else ».
The act of travelling not only allowed humanity to be exposed to new ideas, it offered us a new way to contemplate culture represented visually, particularly with landscape imagery, which was imposed as an art form in Europe from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. This took place around the same time that tourism was fast blossoming as an industry in its own right, brought about by endeavours of early explorers like James Cook or the Count of La Pérouse.
Art and travel clearly blossomed in the past together, and even now, it’s difficult to see art without the influence of travel, and vice versa. Following the trails of art on any trip enriches travel, helps to see the destination in a new light, and understand the people one meets along the way.
Culture is the DNA of a people, a unique way to connect with their history, discover their traditions, and understand their uniqueness. Travelers are sensitive to local customs – that’s what drives them to travel and instils in them the desire to understand how others live on our planet. However, the barrier of language is often a problem for two groups to understand each other. That’s what makes art so important in bridging this gap.
This decision will forever mark the consecration of art universally, as a way of invitation to the sacred, to meditation, to dreams, to surpass oneself, and of course, to see the world. The contemporary American artist Ad Reinhardt perfectly captured art when he said, « Art is art and everything else is everything else ».
The act of travelling not only allowed humanity to be exposed to new ideas, it offered us a new way to contemplate culture represented visually, particularly with landscape imagery, which was imposed as an art form in Europe from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. This took place around the same time that tourism was fast blossoming as an industry in its own right, brought about by endeavours of early explorers like James Cook or the Count of La Pérouse.
Art and travel clearly blossomed in the past together, and even now, it’s difficult to see art without the influence of travel, and vice versa. Following the trails of art on any trip enriches travel, helps to see the destination in a new light, and understand the people one meets along the way.
Culture is the DNA of a people, a unique way to connect with their history, discover their traditions, and understand their uniqueness. Travelers are sensitive to local customs – that’s what drives them to travel and instils in them the desire to understand how others live on our planet. However, the barrier of language is often a problem for two groups to understand each other. That’s what makes art so important in bridging this gap.
This decision will forever mark the consecration of art universally, as a way of invitation to the sacred, to meditation, to dreams, to surpass oneself, and of course, to see the world. The contemporary American artist Ad Reinhardt perfectly captured art when he said, « Art is art and everything else is everything else ».
The act of travelling not only allowed humanity to be exposed to new ideas, it offered us a new way to contemplate culture represented visually, particularly with landscape imagery, which was imposed as an art form in Europe from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. This took place around the same time that tourism was fast blossoming as an industry in its own right, brought about by endeavours of early explorers like James Cook or the Count of La Pérouse.
Art and travel clearly blossomed in the past together, and even now, it’s difficult to see art without the influence of travel, and vice versa. Following the trails of art on any trip enriches travel, helps to see the destination in a new light, and understand the people one meets along the way.
Culture is the DNA of a people, a unique way to connect with their history, discover their traditions, and understand their uniqueness. Travelers are sensitive to local customs – that’s what drives them to travel and instils in them the desire to understand how others live on our planet. However, the barrier of language is often a problem for two groups to understand each other. That’s what makes art so important in bridging this gap.
If the interior design of a place gives it a unique ambiance, the art gives it a soul. It invites you to look beyond aesthetics, to penetrate the soul of an artist or a country and its people. But what good is exhibiting works of art, without offering the viewer some explanation? It would be akin to enjoying a lovely meal, without the company of a good wine. The journey would be unfinished, the satisfaction only partial. After all, an artwork exists only within the context it was created, by the artist who made it. No matter how much pleasure it provides, it is the knowledge that comes with it, that permits a real dialogue with the culture. This is why we have decided to share with you our favourites - in the form of a newsletter - for artists we like, places to visit, or for objects or works of art that we will discover during our travels, highlighting their origins and their stories. If you wish to receive our newsletter you can contact us by sending an email.
If the interior design of a place gives it a unique ambiance, the art gives it a soul. It invites you to look beyond aesthetics, to penetrate the soul of an artist or a country and its people. But what good is exhibiting works of art, without offering the viewer some explanation? It would be akin to enjoying a lovely meal, without the company of a good wine. The journey would be unfinished, the satisfaction only partial. After all, an artwork exists only within the context it was created, by the artist who made it. No matter how much pleasure it provides, it is the knowledge that comes with it, that permits a real dialogue with the culture. This is why we have decided to share with you our favourites - in the form of a newsletter - for artists we like, places to visit, or for objects or works of art that we will discover during our travels, highlighting their origins and their stories. If you wish to receive our newsletter you can contact us by sending an email.
If the interior design of a place gives it a unique ambiance, the art gives it a soul. It invites you to look beyond aesthetics, to penetrate the soul of an artist or a country and its people. But what good is exhibiting works of art, without offering the viewer some explanation? It would be akin to enjoying a lovely meal, without the company of a good wine. The journey would be unfinished, the satisfaction only partial. After all, an artwork exists only within the context it was created, by the artist who made it. No matter how much pleasure it provides, it is the knowledge that comes with it, that permits a real dialogue with the culture. This is why we have decided to share with you our favourites - in the form of a newsletter - for artists we like, places to visit, or for objects or works of art that we will discover during our travels, highlighting their origins and their stories. If you wish to receive our newsletter you can contact us by sending an email.
Located in the south of the island, in a very quiet area surrounded by coconut trees, just 50 meters from a preserved beach, Kāma Villa will be able to accommodate its guests in two tastefully designed suites. Ann and Olivier wish to make this place a private hidden gem where Kāma, the aesthetic pleasure, will blissfully merge with luxury, authenticity, and serenity.
Located in the south of the island, in a very quiet area surrounded by coconut trees, just 50 meters from a preserved beach, Kāma Villa will be able to accommodate its guests in two tastefully designed suites. Ann and Olivier wish to make this place a private hidden gem where Kāma, the aesthetic pleasure, will blissfully merge with luxury, authenticity, and serenity.
Located in the south of the island, in a very quiet area surrounded by coconut trees, just 50 meters from a preserved beach, Kāma Villa will be able to accommodate its guests in two tastefully designed suites. Ann and Olivier wish to make this place a private hidden gem where Kāma, the aesthetic pleasure, will blissfully merge with luxury, authenticity, and serenity.
