From 8 April to 8 May, the Alliance Française in Melbourne will host the exhibition "We are an island" by Florence Metgé

Artist's Statement

“I paint like you would write but, where words are ineffective, painting can let you feel the ambiguity of human relations; this is at the heart of my exploration.

Alone, as a couple or a group (rarely), man (or woman) is dependent on his (her) isolation, his (her) solitude; due to communication difficulties.  The internet doesn't solve anything.

Unquestionably narrative painting, my canvases tell stories. But because of their ambiguous nature, they can be perceived as light or serious depending on the personality and experience of the onlooker; reflecting their image like a mirror, like Narcissus looking in the water.

I am not, however, trying to obtain this result through lightness of tone or meticulous glazing.  On the contrary, I often paint characters with flat bright colours surrounded more or less randomly with black lines. The result is a style of painting which is vibrant and dynamic; cheerful even.

The title was inspired by the solitude of human beings, lost in the crowd, isolated like an island in the middle of the ocean; like Australia was for a long time.”

About the Artist

From the time she was born, Florence Metgé has divided her time between her native France and countries abroad. After studying computer science, she decided to devote herself entirely to Art after she moved to West Africa with her family.

While living in Ivory Coast, she studied with instructors in Fine Arts as well as with traditional sculptors. The results of her work during this period were presented at many solo exhibitions in Abidjan from 1990 onward.

In 2001, having moved to Paris, she completed a Master's degree in Art History at the Sorbonne and also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Aesthetics.

Using a rich and colourful palette, Florence Metgé expresses herself in a style that is both expressionist and narrative. She finds her inspiration in the complexity of human relationships with all their ambiguities and all that is left unsaid. An artist of a delicate and sensitive nature, she expresses feelings and emotions of surprising power and intensity.

She currently divides her time between workshops in Paris, the South of France and Melbourne.

Practical information

Free admission
Opening night on Wednesday 8 April 2015, from 6.30pm to 8pm