Fabrice Loval

Attracted by the infinite diversity of human culture, Loval travelled through different continents. In Africa, Nepal and Cambodia he came to know and appreciate different kinds of techniques and themes. In Brazil he became fascinated with the spiritual dimension of the religious inheritance of the Afro- Brazilian and indigenous populations, such as Camdomblé with its many spiritual beings, the Orishas. He recognized this powerful spiritual world in many various forms during later travels in Cuba and other countries in the Caribbean. All these trips fed his artistic search and in 2003 he decided to establish himself in French Guiana, where his studio is situated within the forest. Loval’s work is full of colours and shapes, with the rainforest as his dominant theme, a never-ending source of inspiration. Loval is motivated by the strength and beauty that can be found in the forest and the necessity to preserve this remarkable phenomenon of nature and the indigenous and tribal people who live there. In his paintings the forest continues to grow exuberantly like spirited nature; often interwoven with female figures or body parts, because in his vision nature is feminine, an evocation of Patchamama and other goddesses from prehistoric times. In other works, references can be found to opposing forces which threaten the survival of Amazonia, such as gold diggers, large scale agriculturalists and the timber industry.

Submitted by Natasha Knoppel Art Galleries