Matières vivantes brings together the botanical paintings of Clarissa P. Valaeys and the sculptural works of Lisa Novel. Through pigments, earth and fibres, the two artists explore a relationship with nature that enters both the forms they create and the materials they work with.
For Clarissa, the plants of her native Brazil are a living link to her roots. Layered botanical forms, translucent passages and intersecting lines create compositions in which leaves, stems and colours overlap. These organic shapes suggest dimensions that lie beyond immediate observation, inviting a quieter, more receptive way of looking and feeling.
Some of the pigments she makes from plants and minerals deepen this connection. Nature enters her work through both the image and the substances that make it, grounding each piece in the particular qualities and origins of its materials.
For this exhibition, Lisa Novel presents three series of objects exploring the expressive possibilities of biomaterials and our relationship with natural resources. A series of single-stem vases draws attention to the material itself, while jute fabric connects her sculptural forms and a further series of vases. Her exploration of creating with fewer materials reflects a desire to limit the ecological footprint of her practice.
Evoking arid soils, her sculptural forms remind us of the preciousness of water, while her vases suggest the fragile balance between plant life and human presence. Woven fibres and earthy surfaces bring these concerns into tangible form, placing volume and texture alongside Clarissa’s translucent painted layers.
Together, these distinct practices reveal shared affinities: an attentiveness to organic forms, a sensitivity to materials and a sense of warmth. Matières vivantes invites visitors to slow down and discover how nature can be represented, felt and made present within an artwork.
