It was strange. It came about unconsciously.”
So says François Olislaeger on his pivot to flowers, the subject of his project Une Fleur Par Jour, Pour Lila, ‘A Flower A Day, For Lila’.
I was in a very dark moment of my life – far away from my three-year-old daughter, and the only thing I managed to do at that time was to represent plants and flowers,” he says. Then a long time after I realised my daughter is also named after a flower: Lila.”
Originally showcased in Paris’ agnès b. Galerie du jour, the 80-plus paintings of flora and fauna are now on display at agnès b. Galerie Boutique in K11, Tsim Sha Tsui. Most of the paintings are being shown to the public for the first time.
The renowned Belgian cartoonist turned to painting flowers in 2016, depicting the blooms with a soft watercolour palette. It’s become a series,” he says, of the approximately three-year-old project. A regular representation – a diary.”
Based between Paris and Mexico, Olislaeger himself likes to be surrounded by flowers. In Mexico, there is vegetation everywhere. Flowers are on restaurant tables, at friend’s houses – so it’s simple to paint with my portable material,” says Olislaeger. In Paris, I buy flowers to compose different bouquet arrangements. So there’s always flowers at home.”
What are some of those flowers? It depends on the season. I mostly appreciate local and seasonal flowers. But I also have a small cactus collection at home.”
Any tips for aspiring green thumbs looking to fill their abode with blooms? You just have to be in marvel with them.”
Click through the gallery below for some floral inspiration for the home.
François Olislaeger’s Une Fleur Par Jour will be on exhibit at agnès b. Galerie Boutique, Shop 119, K11, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui until 30 June 2019.
The post How a Dark Moment Inspired This Artist’s Poignant Paintings of Flora & Fauna appeared first on Home Journal.
