Meeting with Charlotte Culot

For our seventh intramural exhibition CHROMATIC VIBRATIONS, we have the pleasure of presenting the works of Charlotte Culot.

For this Belgian artist born into a family of artists, creation immediately took a major place in her life. In this conversation, she tells us about her childhood, the importance of color in her life, and her passion for collage.

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1/ What is the emotion or the main message you hope to convey through your works?

I believe in the power of color. Colors transmit ENERGY to us. They work on our energy centers (chakras) and nourish our cells with light. If my works can convey this energy, which is itself received from nature, I will be very happy.

2/ How did you find your artistic path, and what key moments shaped you as an artist?

Throughout my childhood, I was immersed in an artistic family environment and encouraged to draw and paint. My mother was a children's book illustrator and my father was a ceramist and sculptor. We grew up surrounded by beauty every day. It was after my university studies that I naturally left behind a potential academic career to devote myself exclusively to painting. It was after a moment of existential emptiness that I picked up the brushes of my childhood. I have never put them down since.

3/ To what extent has your artistic vision evolved since your beginnings?

I started painting in a "semi-figurative" style; the theme was still life. At the beginning of my practice, my favorite painters were Matisse, Gauguin, Morandi, etc. After about ten years, I moved from paper to canvas, and around 2012, I made a smooth transition to abstraction. By 2014, I could no longer look back: the style became more refined and I understood the love I had for architectural lines, architecture, and landscapes in general. Today, I consider my painting to be "interior landscapes": a painting is A TERRITORY in ITSELF.

4/ Is there a recurring theme that often returns in your work, and why is it important to you?

There are several recurring themes in my painting: color combinations (my great master is the Nabi Pierre Bonnard). Then there are textures and materials (I love when there is a superposition of layers: they are like the sediments of our memory, of our experiences; that is why I love using Matisse's cut-paper technique: gluing, layering, etc.).

5/ Can you tell us about a work you are currently presenting at RART, and why does it have special significance for you?

In your exhibition, there is my rug "TIERRA": this rug is the latest one produced by our publishing house Rhizomes. It represents our planet. I love the simplification of its design and the discreet sophistication of its craftsmanship: a blend of high-quality silk and wool. The theme of this rug is very dear to me: we are currently at an important existential turning point regarding the future of our planet. Every time I look at this rug, I immerse myself in the great cosmos. Its two main colors, violet and green, remind me of the chromatic range of Monet's Water Lilies.

6/ As an artist exhibited at RART, what do you think of the idea of art as a response to the pressures of the modern world?

I would say that art is not an idea. Art is AN ACT and a FACT that help us to live.

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