WANG JING/CHINA DAILY
Yishu8 founder Christine Cayol
Born in 1965, Cayol is a Parisian artist, entrepreneur and college philosophy professor.
In 2004, she moved to Beijing with her husband.
Spending a decade in Beijing has given her countless inspirations and a prosperous career.
When Cayol first arrived in Beijing, she spoke no Chinese nor did she have any understanding of the local culture.
"Culture differences easily cause misunderstandings and inconveniences," she said. "And I gradually realized the importance of efficient cultural communication."
"I was 38 years old when I decided to learn Mandarin. I am no longer a young student, but I am open-minded and willing to learn."
Knowing a language is not enough for Cayol, who wants to get a deeper insight of Chinese culture.
She said the Chinese and the French share a lot of similarities, such as both groups are very good at enjoying life, and they both have a high appreciation for food, wines and entertainment.
"But we are still different, and I think it is necessary to bring those differences to the table and discuss them."
Cayol said Yishu8 will host an event called "Tea, Wine and Exhibition" in Beijing and Paris in the upcoming May. "Tea" represents China and "wine" represents France.
A few dozen artists, businessmen, musicians and politicians from both countries will participate in the event and sit together to talk about the culture differences between them.
One of the rooms in Yishu8 is painted yellow, and the other one is painted red in order to highlight the theme of the event.
"Metaphors are everywhere in our center. In this case, yellow is the color of Chinese tea and reddish is what French wine looks like," Cayol said.
As a philosophy professor, Cayol continued her academic career after she moved to Beijing.
She switched her focus to cultural communication in recent years.
"I am fascinated with Chinese philosophies and always wondered how they are different from French philosophies," she said.
Cayol is now working on an essay that mainly discusses the concept of time in two cultures.
"For the past few years, I always stay at home to work on academic issues in the mornings, and I only go to Yishu8 to help out during the afternoons," she said.
Cayol said she is confident with the future development of Yishu8, and will host more salons and exhibitions in the next year.
"I will keep helping Chinese and French artists to get to know more about each other," she said.
BIOBOX
Born in 1965, Christine Cayol is a professor and writer who views culture as art.
She thinks culture is able to make people open, sensitive and emotional.
1994: Cayol establishes Synthesis, a cultural consulting agency providing training and other services to entrepreneurs in France.
2003: Her book Sensitivity Intelligence is published.
2004: She moves to Beijing and begins to study Chinese culture.
2008: Another of Cayol's books, Observing Is An Art, is published in Chinese.
She becomes a famed guest lecturer in China and participates in many seminars in such cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Nanjing and Changsha.
2009: She opens Yishu8 and Synthesis' new branch in Beijing.
2010: Cayol is named one of the "International Elite" by the local government of Chaoyang district in Beijing.
2011: Yishu8 moves to the old site of former Sino-French University
She founds an association under Yishu8.
2012: Cayol is named council member of Rodin Museum in Paris.
IF YOU GO
Yishu 8, former Sino-French University
Address: Jia 20, Dong Huangchenggen, Dongcheng district, Beijing
Contact: 010-6581-9058
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