Anna & Pascal Interviews
The artist Anna Peter-Breton, born in 1985 and originally from Hungary and Kyrgyzstan, set up her studio in Paris in 2009.
Her work explores themes of identity, memory, and the fleeting beauty of existence, both as a personal reflection and a universal commentary on the impermanence of life. Drawing inspiration from her nomadic heritage and experiences through diverse landscapes, Anna seeks to transcend the boundaries of time and space, blending a deep connection to nature with a contemporary call to rediscover our relationship with the natural world.
For D'ORSAY, Anna Peter Breton also agreed to take part in our love interview with her husband of fifteen years, Pascal.
Tell us about the first time you met each other?
Anna: We met at a typical Parisian evening, at my neighbors’ place who owned my little apartment. I didn’t know anyone, I had just recently moved to Paris. He approached me right away, and despite my intention to not talk, the connection was so strong that I ended up not speaking to anyone else that night... It still took me a while to decide after that first meeting.
Pascal: It was a very Parisian evening with people in their forties, former HEC students without any vibrant music. I was in my fifties, and I hadn’t gone to HEC. I was bored. A very young woman with mysterious origins entered like a flower on a concrete wall. I spoke to her...
What did you think when you saw him/her?
Anna: That night, I crossed paths with my destiny, and an intuition whispered to me, though I didn’t realize yet, that this was the most important encounter of my life. I found him imposing, confident, and charismatic, and everyone seemed to know him except me!
Pascal: Her eyes amazed me. I dove into her gaze, searching for the Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, the source of a pure love. The shamanic magic carried me away.
What’s the most unusual place where you kissed or were kissed?
Anna: At 4000 meters altitude in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan during our honeymoon. One night by a river, alone in the world, I felt a deep connection to the heavens.
Pascal: At the source of a marvelous river in the north of Kagoshima in the far south of Japan. The pure water trickled over our naked bodies. The sun barely peeked through the canopy that sheltered our kiss.
What does the scent of their skin evoke for you?
Anna: You wouldn’t think so, but my husband's skin is incredibly soft, as smooth as that of a newborn. His scent evokes tenderness mixed with powerful masculinity, awakening an irresistible desire in me.
Pascal: A cherry blossom in the Japanese spring, Sakura. It’s an indescribable, almost imperceptible scent.
What fascinates you about him/her?
Anna: I am constantly fascinated by his strength and energy, and also by his ability to stay positive and bring everyone along with his enthusiasm. His joy for life is contagious and inspires those around him to adopt an optimistic attitude.
Pascal: She, like a shaman, knows the destinies, and that acceptance is also her fragility.
The way he/she calls you in private...
Anna: We often call each other “Darling” in a very French accent because it’s funnier!
Pascal: “Amore.” As if life could unfold in black and white to a Morricone soundtrack.
The most beautiful declaration he/she has ever made to you?
Anna: The first time he sent me flowers, when we weren’t even together yet, he wrote: “You are the woman I’ve been waiting for...” Fifteen years later, for my birthday this year, he reiterated his feelings, writing: “You are the woman I was waiting for.”
Pascal: For your birthday, here’s my surprise: a purebred Spanish horse, so you’ll always be my Knight.
What fantasy have you realized or would like to realize with him/her?
Anna: A secret beach near Paraty, Brazil. Under the burning sun and whispering waves, our bodies intertwined, every caress awakening our passion. He took pictures of me, naked and vulnerable.
Pascal: After a very long ride through the scrub, we find an empty shepherd's hut, with only a table in the center. You keep your boots on, and I keep my riding crop...
A moment in your life when you wished you could stop time and make it last.
Anna: Lying in the shade of the rocks of our village in Corsica, in Barcaggio, we enjoyed a precious moment side by side, immersed in our books. It was a simple and calm moment, where our connection was so strong that words weren’t necessary. The beauty of this landscape, combined with our silent complicity, created an atmosphere I would want to last forever.
Pascal: Almost every evening in Venice, Barcaggio, Thomery Castle, by the Seine, or in Paris along the same river.
Your most intense or troubling olfactory memory?
Anna: The scent of immortelle, which I find in the scrubland in Corsica, is so sweet and enveloping. As soon as we arrived at our house in Barcaggio, this fragrance transported me and evoked precious memories of love. For me, it’s the true scent of joy.
Pascal: In the Japanese Onsen, there’s the overpowering smell of sulfur, but it cannot mask the rose of your body.
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