The Heart & Art of Cooroy at Gallery Labonne
Every so often you meet a firecracker of a human that not only fills your heart and soul but also her gallery with colour and happiness. If you could bottle her joy and optimism, you’d have a best seller! Carlie Wacker meets Cooroy’s pocket rocket Pascale Labonne.
You know you’re in for a good time when you enter the realm of Pascale Labonne. The energy surrounding her and Gallery Labonne in Cooroy is contagious. With the pop of a bottle of champagne we begin a conversation exploring how this woman made her way from Mauritius to Maple Street. Pascale is the daughter of a diamond cutter and her earliest childhood memories paint the picture of how big the industry was in her homeland.
“I remember walking down the diamond factory alley and stepping up these little stairs, going in the main room where you have at least 500 cutters at work” she shares. “Diamond cutting is a big thing in Mauritius – we are well known for it.”
But Pascale’s path was never to be confined by the life her family led. Her desire to spread her wings and see what the rest of the world had to offer sent her on a journey that began in Sydney, spread to North Queensland and landed in Cooroy where her quest for inner peace, health and love of beautiful things has culminated in Gallery Labonne. With husband and cheerleader Craig, Pascale says she lives her life in the pursuit of beauty and the gallery is where it all comes together. Filled with the work of local, emerging and national artists, ceramics and exquisite handcrafted jewellery and an energy that draws you in – this is a place that brings a buzz to the town and has quickly become a meeting place for locals. Craig and Pascale love art, jewellery and all the beautiful things that bring joy.
“We put everything we love under one roof at Gallery Labonne,” Pascale says. “I’m obsessed with surrounding myself with beautiful things, interacting with people, and when I look at an object, seeing the beauty behind it.”
Such is the optimism and joy that oozes from this self-proclaimed rough diamond. With recent health concerns she doesn’t let the fear of declining health cloud her positive view of the world. She inspires people around her to be happy on the darkest of days.
“Sometimes life is just like a rough diamond,” she explains. “It just needs a little bit of a polish to get that sparkle back and that’s what the gallery’s done for me.”
And, dear readers, that is what the gallery will do for you – add a little sparkle to your day. Since meeting Pascale I have returned to Gallery Labonne several times and not always to buy gifts and jewels. I just love seeing her interact with all the different people that pass by and pop in and when I ask her to describe what visitors will find when they enter the gallery this is her response: “A smile. A big, wide smile,” she says. “Yes, I need to make money – my husband keeps reminding me that it’s not just about the smile – but happy wife, happy life”.
Gallery Labonne is escapism – it’s like entering into a world of beautiful things and just for a moment you forget all your troubles, negativity and realise you’re surrounded by positive energy. I asked Pascale if her gallery and life in the hinterland has finally filled her glass and discovered, it fills more than that.
“Absolutely!” she answered, “It has filled my carafe.”
So next time you need a life spritz and a sprinkle of positive energy and maybe even a cheeky glass of bubbles, a new pair of earrings or artwork pop into Pascale at Gallery Labonne and fill your own carafe.
