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Art:   Meet Camille, an abstract, mixed media artist fascinated by the human body, its form & complexity |23 December 2021

Art:     Meet Camille, an abstract, mixed media artist fascinated by the human body, its form & complexity

Today we meet Camille Frichot, a Seychellois artist who shares with us the stories behind the paintings on her canvases.

 

 

Seychelles NATION: Tell us about yourself.

Camille Frichot: I have spent most of my life, particularly my childhood, in the Seychelles with my family. I moved back to the Seychelles when the pandemic started in early 2020 and have been working from home ever since.

I have also lived and spent a considerable amount of time (10 + years) in the United Kingdom (UK) for both work and my studies where I was in Kent, South East; Glasgow, Scotland; and London. I am an Architect registered both in the Seychelles and the UK (ARB).

I am married to my partner; he is Greek and loves our little islands as much as I do.

 

Seychelles NATION: What is your background in art?

Camille Frichot: I have been painting from a young age and always been a keen painter. I have always been drawn to everything to do with art and painting but it’s very difficult to know where it stems from.

I studied Art at both GCSE and A-level. I then completed my Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Architecture at the University of Kent, where one of my key modules focused on interdisciplinary art, to explore the connection between the human body and architecture.

I also completed my Masters in Architecture at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art and was fortunate to be surrounded by the fine arts students and fashion designers, which enabled me to continue developing creatively.

 

Seychelles NATION: We’re interested in learning about your artwork; tell us about the technique and mediums you use.

Camille Frichot: I create lots of abstract work and try to always push myself to experiment and test out new methods of painting – it definitely leads to lots of mistakes, but I feel it’s important to keep developing and not stay stagnant and repetitive.

I work with a lot of different mixed media, newspaper cuttings (mostly from Nation of course!), acrylic paint, oil paint, inks, chalk, and anything I can get my hands on really. I try and use what I have to hand around me.

The majority of my paintings are of nudes, especially female nudes. I have always been fascinated by the human body, it’s form, proportions, complexity and functionality.

While colour and composition are important, I have a strong focus on creating lots of texture and layers in my work.

I paint whenever I can get a free moment – weekends, mornings/evenings and before or after work. I’m always changing where I paint, but I do love to paint outside on the verandah.

 

Seychelles NATION: We imagine it requires a lot of patience to practice this type of art. What else do you require?

Camille Frichot: A willingness to fail and test new ideas and mediums. An infinite love and patience for my work. An abundance of time – everything really does take a long time – something I most definitely don’t have and wish I had more of. Curiosity and an inquisitive mind constantly seeking inspiration from people and surroundings. Genuine patience. A strong passion for art.

 

Seychelles NATION: How do you feel when you’re working on your pieces and looking at the end results?

Camille Frichot: Painting gives me a tremendous amount of peace which I am very grateful for. The world really does go completely quiet when I am fully engaged in my work which is the best feeling.

I am always extremely critical of my own work on the one hand, but on the flip side, even though a piece doesn’t work out I know I can always learn from it to make the next one ten times better.

Somehow, every time I finish a painting, I feel as though a small part of me is gone – in the most wonderful way – which is why I find it very hard to part with my work.

 

Seychelles NATION: Are there any particular ways you wish for people to think about and feel when they view your artwork?

Camille Frichot: Not at all; when I paint, I constantly switch the position of my canvas so I am constantly viewing it from a different angle. This forces me to literally and figuratively view it from a different perspective. I do this intentionally because that’s the beauty of art – someone will always interpret it from their point of view and draw their personal connection to it, which I love.

 

Seychelles NATION: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Camille Frichot: I have been speaking to some local galleries about incorporating my work – so please watch this space. I am currently arranging for some very high quality prints to be made for my current work if anyone would be interested. I am working on a brand new collection too, so there is a lot of new stuff coming in the pipeline!

 

For more information:

- Follow: Instagram profile –camillefrichotart; Facebook Page - @camillefrichotart

- Email - camillefrichotart@outlook.com

 

F.P.

Photo sources: Camille Frichot

 

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