Initiated in 2018 by the Concept’Art gallery, “Horizons telluriques” (Telluric horizons) makes its last stop called “Latest aftershocks” from April 26 to May 11, 2019 at Fort Fleur d’Epée in Le Gosier (Guadeloupe). This collective and itinerant exhibition previously stopped in the towns of Sainte-Rose, Le Lamentin, Saint-François and Baie-Mahault. Five artists (Jérôme Sainte-Luce, Denis Ninine, Micheline Souprayen, Florence Poirier NKPA and François Piquet) were selected by Franck Thévenaud, the director of Concept’Art, to take part in this artistic work that mixes painting, photography, drawing and sculpting.
Jérôme Sainte-Luce is one of five artists who were selected by Frank Thévenaud, the director of the Concept’Art gallery, to produce works from the theme “Horizons telluriques” (Telluric horizons). “When Franck told me about the theme “Telluric horizons”, I did my “cooking” because he did not impose anything to interpret this theme.The word “telluric” led me to the Amerindian land which is the centre of my work and “horizons” made me think that we are looking at something far away“, he explained.
Indeed, Jérôme Sainte-Luce was born 38 years ago in Perpignan, France, but his origins are in Trois-Rivières, a town known for its “Engraved Rocks Park” by the Ameridians before the arrival of Europeans in Guadeloupe. He became a visual artist in 2009 after studying Applied Arts, attending the workgroup organized by the painter Hiro in Valence, Ardèche and the painter Jean-Pierre Pophillat in Benicassim, Spain. He also has a special memory of this last stage in his training : “everyone had to show his work and the other trainees gave their opinion. This exchange learns to accept criticisms of the others”, he said.
Jérôme Sainte-Luce already presented alone his work on several occasions : “Fufytti” at the Natif’ Design Art gallery in 2004 ; “Les Âmes Gravées” at Fort Fleur d’Epée in 2009 ; “Les Passeurs d’Âmes” at the Architecture and Heritage House in 2016. The artist also enjoys group exhibitions and participated in Guadeloupe, for example, in the “Rencontres d’Art et d’Histoire” in 2013 and 2016 ; “57” in 2017 ; the “Pool Art Fair” in 2018. In Martinique, he took part in the exhibition titled “The French West Indies between Identity, Origins and Future” in 2017 and he was in France at the “Art Shopping, Salon international d’art contemporain” that took place in the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, in 2017 and 2018. “I like to participate in group exhibitions to see the angle working of other artists, it also makes easier the exchange between us. In fact, we artists do not meet a lot and it’s a pity. For this exhibition we were a nice little group and it’s always very rewarding”, he said. It must be said that in 2011, Jérôme Sainte-Luce was the winner of the “Official Stamp Contest by La Poste, Overseas Collection”. The painter does not have any favorite techniques: “I like all the techniques. I can paint with what I have on hand, such as oil paint, acrylic and others, but when I am painting, it must be fun and not binding. I tend to paint at night and I draw at any moment, it’s more instantaneous, I like the imaginative world”, said the artist who is also a trainer specializing in Applied Arts.
Denis Ninine also accepted to participate in this “artistic adventure” set up by the Concept’Art gallery. This 32-year-old visual artist was immediately inspired by the theme “Telluric horizons”, he was, so to speak, in his element. Indeed, Denis Ninine has a passion for comics and drawing since his childhood and he is attracted by the world of dreams. “This theme made me think of the cosmos, the gas planets and terrestrial planets. I love the stars, the dream world so when Franck offered me to participate in this group exhibition, I accepted (…)”, he said. And he continued and told about two works that he exhibits during this last stop of the exhibition at Fort Fleur d’Epée : “In the painting I titled “Cosmogonie”, I put two planets one in front of the other, one is under construction, there are different characters who intervene, one of them is climbing up a ladder to reach an “elsewhere somewhere”, hence “Telluric horizons”. There is also this character who is a robot with its mechanical system – which can be us in society – it is overloaded and it is throwing things, it is the dark side ; the happy side is symbolized by the ladder, the idea or the search for a better elsewhere… In the work “We are the weather”, I talk about time, seasons, nature with this tree… All this is part of the same world, it’s something cyclical”.
The artist already participated in several group exhibitions in Paris in 2011 (Instant D), in Martinique in 2013 (14N61W gallery), in Guadeloupe in 2015 and 2016 (Pool Art Fair), in 2017 (Festival Bleu Outre-Mer, 57), in 2018 (OFF Art, Festival international de Graffiti de Guadeloupe) to name a few ; in 2016, he organized his first personal exhibition titled “Un Echo” at the Lamentin Media Library.
In 2008, the young man obtained his national diploma of plastic art (DNAP) at the school of art in Martinique. “I also studied for a master 1 at the IUFM to have a pedagogical training, to have something more in my career. I did not want to become a teacher, I prefer to carry out my own projects, organize workshops, for example”, he said. Denis Ninine is a professional artist, he lives and works in the city of Les Abymes. “I paint every day in my studio, I also give art classes to 8-year-olds. The works I exhibit today are representational with dreamlike landscapes. It’s a new style of representation”, the artist said.
As for Micheline Souprayen, she wrote in the catalogue of the exhibition: “(…)”Telluric horizons” is surely an invitation to know the natural environment, just like the ability to exploit this environment with the respect for what we are part of ; an opportunity to consider it as a real artistic material (…)”. This 52-year-old artist from Capesterre Belle-Eau in Guadeloupe has been drawing since she was a child. “Since my childhood, drawing allowed me to withdraw to better go to other people. I looked at Rahan comics, Tarzan comics for example, I liked first the style of drawing. I began to draw with ball-point pens alone and then I showed my drawings to my parents. Every time I saw illustrated pictures made by great designers, I had a hearty appetite. When I was a student in Paris I could afford felt-tip pens used by architects, I was very interested in art stores. I became an auditor at the Beaux-Arts in Paris and I was a student at the studios of the city of Paris. This courses with often a nude modèle allowed me to capture the gesture, one of my teachers said that I was the only one to have a sense of rhythm (…)”, she told. After obtaining a degree in Economic and Social Administration (AES) at the University of Paris VII, the young woman taught mathematics and Applied Arts at the Guadeloupe Chamber of Crafts for about ten years, at the Vocational High School in Le Lamentin and in primary schools. Even if she keeps a good memory of this period of her life, for anything she would not leave her current artistic career. “When I’m painting, I really feel good ; my way is this one. I really like drawing with felt-tip pens, collage, oil painting… I really like the details in my works (…) I also enjoy things that allow creativity such as breathing good air, meditation, dancing, reading. I like to ask myself questions that make me grow and find inspiration. Now, art (painting and drawing) became for me a real discipline that I practice every day”, the artist said.
Micheline Souprayen already showed her works in about fifteen exhibitions (Au fil du temps ; Le temps qui passe ; Mon pays, un jardin ; Cap Art etc.). If her daughter, Dominique (25), chose a career in the financial world, her son, Laurent (23), who had started studying biology decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps ; he joined the Beaux-Arts of Toulouse and is attracted by hyperrealism.
In addition to these three artists, the exhibition also hosts the works made by two other artists who were not there during our report at Fort Fleur d’Épée. Florence Poirier NKPA is an artist who was born in Bordeaux in 1972. “Looking at a horizon is not only seeing a so-called “horizontal” line. It is also seeing what leads personally from one point to another… It is looking at the way that I will open up towards my own horizon (…)”, she said in the catalogue of the “Horizons telluriques” exhibition. After studying Applied Arts and plastic arts at the École Normale Supérieure in Cachan, Florence Poirier NKPA taught in Cameroon and Guiana. In 2007, she moved to Saint-Martin and, three years later, she created the artists’ collective, HeadMade Factory. The artist uses as technique a mix of photographs and paintings and, since 2014, she creates portraits from her own image and that of the various people she met.
François Piquet is the sculptor of this exhibition, he currently is at the “Venice Biennale”, Italy. This self-taught artist was born in France and he began to practice various artistic disciplines (sculpting, installation, street art etc.) in Guadeloupe. In 2007, he made his first monumental sculpture at Darboussier in Pointe-à-Pitre then he showed his works in various places on the island but also in France (Marseilles), Martinique, Portugal, Senegal etc. The Musée de la Canne and the Memorial ACTe in Guadeloupe) as well as the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool (England) already bought his works. François Piquet wrote in the catalogue of the exhibition :“For “Telluric horizons”, I chose to bring together wood, coral and iron blades from the Darboussier factory to talk about the future tremors and allow complete freedom for the emergence of new forms”.
As in the previous four exhibitions, the audience – especially schoolchildren – will meet the artists. A fair will be held on May 10, 11 and 12.
