Interview: Brigitte Maquet
Luca Curci talks with Brigitte Maquet during the 15th Edition of VENICE INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2022, at Palazzo Bembo.

Belgian, born in Congo, Brigitte Maquet artist-painter currently lives in Belgium in a small village near Luxembourg. She grew up among nature, architecture and contemporary art lovers. Since her childhood, she is particularly moved by the works of painters W. Turner, V. Van Gogh. After training in chemical sciences, she pursued a career in computer science.
In love with the great outdoors, she has always been concerned with everything that concerns respect for the environment and the preservation of the beauty and diversity of our earth. Since her teenage years, she expresses her feelings through visual arts, especially through photography. As an adult, she regularly rubs shoulders with her uncle, himself a painter, whose artistic work she appreciates more and more. He undoubtedly gave her the desire to paint and influenced her taste for abstract painting and colors. It is in 2017, that it seems obvious to her that she has a crying need to express her emotions through painting. After an intense professional career, she begins in 2018 a course in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts. Visiting an exhibition in Paris in 2018 on Zaō Wou-Ki was a revelation for her and a turning point in her artistic life. Her childhood, her life in symbiosis with nature, as well as her numerous and distant travels have a major influence on her creative activities. The light, the colors, the rhythms, the smells, the environment are for her so many sources of emotions and inspiration. In 2020 she discovered painters such as Gerhard Richter, and then in 2021 Fran O’Neill who are for her new artistic references. She wishes to continue to paint and explore new techniques, participate in other exhibitions and promote her art internationally.

The technique I use is acrylic on canvas. Between real and unreal, I first painted abstract landscapes. The natural elements essential to life, namely air, fire, water and earth, constitute the heart of my creativity.
My paintings then evolved more and more towards the abstract. Inspired by Gerard Richter and the light that emerges from some of his paintings, I used other techniques. I accumulate successive layers of non-figurative paint. The paintings evolve in stages by blurring and scraping with a spatula to veil and expose the previous layers. This is an area I will continue to explore. Inspired by Fran O’Neill, my current theme is about painting the intangible, the energy of the elements of space around us. It is a macro vision and the canvas sizes are larger. I am not necessarily trying to recreate what I saw but rather the experience of what I felt and how I perceived it. Abstraction, color, rhythm, movement of paint and change of scale all come into play on the canvas to render that feeling of space felt at a given moment. By harnessing the fluid movement of the paint as I apply it, I can add my own dynamic to the image-making process. Always looking for new things, I would like to continue to explore this world of movement, space and energy and convey the emotions felt.

Luca Curci – What is art for you?
Brigitte Maquet – Art for me is a way to express, and raise emotions. Art can transport the spectator into his imagination, his story, and his vision of the world. In love with the great outdoors, I am concerned with everything related to respect for the environment and the preservation of the beauty and diversity of our earth. By raising emotions about the natural elements, the spaces, the lights, and the colors that surround us, I hope to awaken a sense of respect for our planet even if it is a drop in the Ocean.

LC – Which is the role the artist plays in society? And contemporary art?
BM – The artist can defend ideas, and values and share a reflection on the world and society. Art can be used to convey a message and raise awareness. Contemporary art and in particular abstract art gives more freedom to the spectator to appropriate the artwork and make its own story.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
BM – My main source of inspiration is surrounding nature, colors, light and energy.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
BM – For me, the most challenging part is to decide when the artwork is finished.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this exhibition? How did it inspire you?
BM – I like the idea to have an exhibition in an old “palazzo”, it is a way to mix history with contemporary art. I also like the idea to promote emerging artists and it inspires me to meet and discuss with other artists coming from everywhere around the world.. The subject of this exhibition also inspires me and corresponds to some of my artworks.

LC – What is the message linked to the artwork you have shown in this event? How is it connected to the theme of the entire exhibition?
BM – I have shown one artwork called “Vague à l’âme”.It can be seen as an inside view of our body, and our conscience when we feel sad or nostalgic. It can also be interpreted by how we see, and feel the environment, and the space around us when we have the “vague à l’âme”. The colors used mainly purple and dark red as well as the abysses are also part of that feeling. This artwork could also be named “Another world». We see the world, the space around us differently depending on how we feel in a particular moment.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
BM – Yes, it does if that kind of exhibition drags many people interested by art and emerging artists.LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists? BM – Yes, it does if that kind of exhibitions drag many people interested by art and emerging artists.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
BM – Yes I did. The team is very helpful and the organization is good. I hope it drags many persons interested by art. I had previous exhibitions outside Belgium, in Luxemburg, and in France but this is my first exhibition in Italy.
I hope there will be plenty of others. 

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
BM – It looks like a very dynamic and active platform and very international so I like it.