Clémentine D.Calcutta

Artist Clementine D. Calcutta was born in the mid-80s; she lives and works in Paris, nostalgic about her idols: bohemian artists and writers, surrealists and other innovators to whom she pays homage through her work.

A specialist of surrealism and kitsch, she has studied in Lyon, Philadelphia, Quebec and Paris, where she obtained her research degree, and then worked with collections and renowned institutions. Her academic training in art history and her sensitivity have drawn her quickly to painting and collage, in which she mixes her references and passions. Her collages are engaged, the result of her reflection, whereas her painting is symbolic, intimate and automatic.

She has taken up the challenge to bring creation and provocation together; using golden and other vibrant colors, she distills sacred and profane symbols with irony, giving an iconic dimension to her works. Her exacerbated eroticism serves this purpose, as it is blasphemous and praises the female body at the same time.

Writing and poetry also play an important part in her work, blurring or shedding light on the entries we might have in order to understand her practice.