Gérard Coste

Gérard Coste (born 24 March 1939), is a painter and diplomat, born in Marseille. A graduate of the Sciences Po (Paris), HEC Paris and the École nationale d'administration (National School of Administration), he began his diplomatic career in Laos in 1964,^[1] later serving in Japan. While in Japan, he spent two years studying painting with the master Toshimitsu Imai,^[2] being Imai's only Western student.^[1] Coste had his first one-man exhibition in 1975 in Japan.^[1] He has had several shows in France and Japan and exhibiting his works regularly in Japan, the United States, Singapore and Thailand. He his the nephew-in-law of the late painter Czech painter Otakar Kubín whom lived nearby, close to Marseille.

He pursued both careers, diplomatic and artistic together, until his retirement in 2003, the date on which he set up his painting studio in Bangkok. Coste married Naomi (a Japanese-American model he met in Japan) in 1974.^[1]

Main Assignments

• Communication Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1985-1987^[3]
• General Consul in Los Angeles 1988-1993^[1][4]
• Ambassador of France in Singapore 1993-1995
• Ambassador of France to Thailand 1995-1999^[5]
• General Consul in San Francisco 2000-2003^[6]

Honors

• Officier (officer) of the Légion d'honneur
• Officier(Officer) of the Ordre national du Mérite.^[4]
• Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
• Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Order of The White Elephant of Thailand

Publications

• "Golden Skies" 1992. Limited Edition
• "Windows" 1995.Limited Edition
• "Elsewhere" 2005. Limited Edition
• "En Dedans" 2010.
• "Lami", a novel, 2010.
• "Ressac", 2011.^[7]
• "Abyme", 2012.

"Ailleurs",2012. "Crypte", 2013. "Avatar",2014.

References

1. Ward Beriderman, Patricia (31 March 1991). "By Tapping His Artistic Nature, Diplomat Makes Sense of His Life". Los Angeles Times (Eddy Hartenstein). Retrieved 25 February 2010.
2. "Art Exhibition "Ailleurs" by Gérard Coste". Japan Foundation (Thailand). 2005. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
3. Bessieres, Henri (8 March 1987). "TV5 dans le ciel européen ('TV5 in European skies')". Le Monde (in French) (Éric Fottorino). Retrieved 25 February 2010.
4. Loper, Marylou (16 April 1989). "Pasadena Showcase Cloaked in Secrecy". Los Angeles Times (Eddy Hartenstein). Retrieved 25 February 2010. WELCOME: To Gérard Coste, taking the post of consul general of France in Los Angeles. He is a chevalier of both the French National Order of Merit and the ...
5. Boulestreau, Emmanuelle (27 February 1997). "L'ambassadeur de France, soldat de la diplomatie économique ('The Ambassador of France, a soldier of economic diplomacy')". Les Échos (in French) (LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A.). p. 46. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
6. "On the Move". Santa Rosa Press Democrat (The New York Times Company). 31 May 2001. p. E2. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
7. "Ressac". Ressac (Gaveroche): 23. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.

External links

• Official website
• numilog.com, library