11, rue Parmentier
06100 Nice
France

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Valérie Arboireau
lipstick art
chandelier
christmas tree
african memories
www.merrycrystal.com

Peter Larsen
stationery
bookbinding
hypocycloide

zebra and throne

caddie

African memories

"I was born in Africa in the land of cannibals.I am black, like a she-ass and I can't endure this feeling any more ..."
(small song at nursery school 1967).

Small daughter of a colonial railway man, I must guide my idea of Africa by emotions, african emotions.

Indeed, it is difficult to interpret the memories of my father and impossible to accept those of my grandparents.

In spite of this, since very young, I have had an intense and penetrating feeling of belonging to the african continent.

I spoke pigeon french (petit-nègre), before I spoke suited french.

I wanted to be black to counter the family ideals, black for erotical, black to make up for racial errors of the past and black to avoid a feeling of guilty, guilty of not being in Africa.

Difficult to reconcile my pale skin with my Australopethec origins.

Austral-hypothecation of lands, lands being colonised by rail.

Unknown pictures, wild and incongruous of an occidental, permeated by her non-existent memories of a bygone Africa.

I wanted to bring this together, in this work where I play with the contrasts that obsess me.

"I was born in Provence in the land of the cicada.
I am white like an English woman and I can't endure this feeling any more..."

Valérie Arboireau