"BIG fleur", an exhibition by Virginie Cognet

Nature, and the Woman, nourish each work in this exhibition. Nature is king, luxuriant and sumptuous, and it welcomes in its bosom a recurring female character with thick hair, who radiates beauty and strength. Drawing is a form of meditation for Virginie Cognet. The elements, flowers or birds, are repeated in patterns as a mantra is repeated. Finding peace and serenity is a quest and the primary motivation of this self-taught artist who left a career as a stylist and then as an Artistic Director to devote herself entirely to her art: "This series is an opening to spirituality. To the communion of the human being with nature. But also an ode to women that I wish powerful and serene. That they find their rightful place in our society.

The very pure forms, the unreal proportions, but also the flat color palette, often reduced to blue and ochre, give to the drawings all together the impression of a great fresco with a strong and singular poetry, as if coming out of a dream. These drawings are among the most personal of the artist, we are at the source of his imagination. "The more time passes, the more I like to purify my work. Trying to keep only the essential in each illustration to give more strength to the image.

Virginie draws her inspiration from the simple things of everyday life that comfort, immersing herself in a book, offering herself a bouquet on Sunday at the market, a walk in the forest ... a little sweetness to compensate for the agitation of the world around us. His drawings are a refuge. "I realize that painting is a real therapy for me. My paintings give me the path to follow, towards more serenity, joy and strength."

A few lines of bio:

Virginie Cognet began her career as a fashion stylist and then as an art director before launching herself into illustration as a self-taught artist. Living in Saintes in the Charente Maritime region, her inspiration comes from the nature that surrounds her and that soothes her. Her paintings, done in gouache with a naive and poetic lightness, are remedies to melancholy.
She has built a well-recognized and recognized artistic identity: her collaborations are numerous, with magazines (in particular Flow Magazine, Respire, La petite fabrique, Kaizen...), for the edition, and big signs like the BHV Marais or Melvita...