Mireille Vanhove-Dubois

Painter and ceramicist, Mireille Vanhove-Dubois lived in Africa for 30 years. She desires, through her acrylics, to show behind the idyllic scenes of Africa and to underline the courage of women who face disease and poverty.

We have The Scream by Munch, Africa has the scream of its infants: they are identical, but ours is that of affluent adults. We forget about the mothers and children for whom survival is a daily challenge. These mothers are beautiful because, despite their immense hardships, maternity renders them infinitely beautiful.

Africa is not known or understood as well as other cultures, but by living there, says the artist, you begin to empathize with its people. You discover a continent composed of flesh and blood, joy and suffering, and suddenly you become capable of respecting African culture without the taints of guilt.

The rich and bright colors of Africa inspire paintings that can seize the moment. Mireille Dubois captures the roars, the sobbing, the laughing, everything she found during her stay. Her choice of medium is sound, as acrylics provide an immaculate background to the hauntingly beautiful faces that she paints. Her compositions are centered on the subjects without added frills. Certain pieces remain quasi-photographs when only the original image can convey the subtlety and sensibility of the African spirit.

Mireille Vanhove-Dubois is an artist who is tracing moments, one who always strives to reinvent the universe.