Lisette Lou on studying language and earning the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France

published in enya Fashion Queen issue #206, find the original interview here; cover photo © 2024 enya Fashion Queen, all rights reserved

In an autumn afternoon, we met with Lisette Lou, who was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France, at the Japanese-styled Lepu Lounge. In this historically and culturally rich venue, we delved into Lou’s achievements as a messenger of aesthetics for over 30 years and her extensive experiences in education and cultural exchange. Our interview was not just a conversation, but also an opportunity to understand the profound power of art and culture through her aspiring potential.

Trajectory of Growth

Ever since she was a little girl, Lou followed the footsteps of her diplomat father and traveled around the world. Despite constantly moving between Taiwan and other countries, she still remembers her upbringing clearly, especially her childhood days in Cameroon and Haiti. The lush green scenery out the window was her first impression of Africa. Although unfamiliar with her surroundings and was even once frightened by locals, Lou had the opportunity to establish an intrinsic connection with the French language. Perhaps at that time, she would’ve never imagined having such a deep affinity with a foreign language. With that particular memory in mind, Lou emotionally shares, “These childhood memories are very touching, especially items that are tangible. Even till now, I still keep the notebooks from the local school I attended.”

Aesthetic Enlightenment

At the age of fifteen, Lou and her family moved to Paraguay. Regardless of the destination, her family strived to stay together. Family education was a great influence to her, as they always cherished the time spent together. Even when they were abroad, her parents took the time to practice their kids’ mandarin and specified that they could only communicate in the respective language at home, which laid a solid foundation for Lou’s language skills. Regarding aesthetic enlightenment, she noticed her classmates at the international school in Paraguay valued establishing a sense of ritual in life. This experience made her realize the importance of how art enlivens life and how life becomes art. Upon returning to Taiwan, Lou chose to study French at Fu Jen Catholic University. The reason she chose to continue her linguistic journey was that she didn’t view language as merely a tool. “Language can broaden one’s perspective. Learning French is like falling in love; you have to understand it from various aspects, including literature, cuisine, art and more” – this particular mindset further shaped her future career and life trajectory.

Life Coach

Lou has always aimed to enter cultural institutions – a goal that stemmed from her experiences abroad, where she observed that the communities of Asia, such as Taiwan, Japan and Korea, have their own identities and characters, which further emphasized the importance of culture. After graduating from college, Lou fortuitously joined the National Palace Museum as a French and Spanish-speaking tour guide. As she got the chance to meet tourists from around the world, she also needed to condense 6,000 years of history into an hour-long tour, which she found fascinating. People often ask, does giving these standardized tours every day get tiring? She smiles and replies, “The more the merrier and sharing is important. I decide how to present my tour according to different cultural groups.” After working as a museum tour guide, Lou had the opportunity to work as the confidential secretary and Senior Executive Officer for the directors of National Palace Museum. She stayed in this role for 33 years and served under seven different directors, each an important mentor in her life. For instance, working with Director Chin Hsiao-yi taught her the significance of humility and effective communication, which she found to be valuable throughout the years. of humility and effective communication, which she found to be valuable throughout the years.

Chevalier Spirit

After receiving a Chevalier medallion for the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France in 2019, Lou believed that the promotion of cultural exchange should not stop here. Therefore, after stepping down from her position at the National Palace Museum, she has been invited to join Media Sphere Communications Ltd. as a consultant to continue to contribute wholeheartedly to this field. However, she also understands that organizing large-scale exhibitions requires years of preparation and effort, something she learned from National Palace Museum’s past collaborations with the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre Museum, and the British Museum. Despite that, for Taiwan’s next generation and educational purposes, she is determined, even if it means financial losses. Currently, she is working with the MSC towards inviting the Metropolitan Museum of Art to host exhibitions in Taiwan. At the same time, she is also hoping to acquire financial support from private fundings in the future. “Beautiful things are a kind of enjoyment that brings happiness.” To Lou, this is her method of continuing the spirit of the Chevalier and a way of giving back to both France and Taiwan.