Architect turned artist, Lucie de Moyencourt, was born in Paris in 1983 but grew up in South Africa where she now lives and works.
Lucie has no formal art training, but was immersed in creative atmospheres from a young age, inspired by the creative industries of her mother, a ballet dancer, and father, an antiques dealer and collector of African art.
Lucie began painting scenes of the Cape Town suburbs and cityscapes around seven years ago, drawn to the snapshotted moments of everyday life. By using many layers of black ink, Lucie is able to give a photographic element to her work.
In 2017, Lucie collaborated with artist Michael Chandler to create a giant porcelain tiled mural depicting a Cape Tree of Life on the Wine Farm, Bosjes. The Tree of Life concept came from blue and white ceramic shards on the farm, and is based on the Indian Palampore textiles which came past the cape in the 18th century. The fauna, flora and animals depict the history and spirit of the farm.
The playful scale of the fruits and whimsical nature of this mural are so delightful and inspiring. There is so much to see and the details included in this piece are truly wonderful.
Inspired by Matisse’s cut outs, Lucie wanted to make a collection of shells to hang in the walls of her own home. After receiving so much interest, she created a small exhibition, which sold out in one day, and Lucie decided to incorporate shell making into her daily practice. Since she started creating the shells in 2018, she has exhibited six sell-out shows and installations.
Lucie has recently found huge success with Shellegance, her collection of hand painted ceramic shells, which she makes in her studio in Cape Town.
Lucie loves the “organic, wabi-sabi shapes of the shells and their endless textures and colours.” The variation of size, colour, and style of shell makes for an impactful installation. Lucie creates each shell individually, ensuring that no shell is ever the same, and encourages shoppers to begin an endless collection.
It is a wonderful example of the principles and practices we spoke about recently in Creating your Own Art Installation.
You can follow along to see Lucie’s new collections and be endlessly inspired by photos of these fabulous installations through her Instagram @shellegance.