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.
In Lisa’s sculptures, woven fibres meet earthy surfaces, bringing contrasting textures into a single form. The interlacing of strands and the irregular contours invite close attention to the materials and to the gestures involved in shaping them. Her works bring a physical dimension to the exhibition’s dialogue, placing volume and texture alongside Clarissa’s translucent 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.
