Nomas #18

Issue 18. PROVENCE.

The land of art, wine, and gastronomy. Μelancholy and sunshine.

Nomas 18 journeys back to France, to witness the allure of its Mediterranean parts. To discover Provence in the South. First stop, the house of Albert Camus in the village of Lourmarin. His daughter Catherine shows us around their home, the desk on which her father wrote. She describes the reality of growing up with him.

From there, vineyards expand towards the four horizons. Cypress trees point their branches up to the glaring sky. This is Paul Cezanne’s surplus of inspiration. The charm with which he meticulously painted in his atelier in Aix. This issue’s unique fashion editorial has something of Cezanne’s enhanced stillness. A tribute to his work by five artists and three photographers. 

Provence is always one surprise ahead. Chateau d’Arnajon is one of those. Its iron gates push back and allow us to play with the 17th century. A few kilometers down the road is Chateau La Coste, where contemporary artists conduct their own type of play amidst growing vine-fields. Photographs are taken in the vividness of Arles. Yvon Lambert’s collection, renowned choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, artworks from the Carmignac Foundation and that unforgettable restaurant in Cucuron, called La Petite Maison, help us in understanding why Provence has turned so many artistic gazes towards itself.

From village to town to fields, and from fields to villages and towns, Provence unfolds in a pattern where nothing feels too distant. A wish can be fulfilled within the radius of a bicycle ride. So, join us on this paper journey around this unique and beautiful land.