Meet our Beauty Influencer Michael Deloffre, Painter and Sculptor
Michael Deloffre proposes a break in time, sharing his view of the world, greatly inspired by the simplicity and sheer force of Nature.
Good evening Michael, thank you for making the time to talk with us.
You’ve done it all. You were a successful businessman. What made you chose Art over business?
The business world is very stressful and I felt I had accomplished everything I wanted. I was ambitious but I was missing something: self-realization. I needed to feel emotions and Art was the only thing that could provide this to me. I started to paint. As I owned a company quite important at the time I was able to expose my paintings at the headquarters. Every three months, I hosted cocktail parties for my main clients. I would choose some master paintings from museums for theme exhibitions.
One day I asked my colleagues: “What did you choose for the next exhibition?” They answered: “Your paintings.” I thought they were insane but they convinced me eventually. I was scared… But it worked! The next exhibition happened in Philadelphia, then Chicago and so on… From then on, it was clear I was going to sell my company. In the second half of one’s life, self-realization is more important than money.
Absolutely. What do you think resonated with people?
Sincerity, I think. There is no cheating in Art. I think if I am successful today, this is the reason why. I started like most artists with figurative because you can’t really do abstract without having done figurative before. I was painting nudes. However I lost interest in it after a few years and wanted to reach my ultimate goal; transmit pure and raw emotions that I could only express with abstract. It is really an instant image of what you feel at a given time. It took me a while to accept my pieces, I burnt many of them! Abstract is what I like most in my work.
Have the emotions that you express evolved?
Yes of course, this is why I don’t want to be categorized. I like to explore different themes as you can see with Empreintes du Temps in sculpture and my different collections of paintings.
In Elements I focused my work on the four natural elements, water, earth, air and fire which was the traditional way to describe and analyze the world in the ancient "philosophiae naturalis", as well as in Feng Shui. This is really dear to my heart and also a kind of extension of what I do in sculpture.
With the collection “Ombre et Lumière” (Shadow and Light), I was contacted three years ago by the So Sofitel Bangkok in order to organize an exhibition with my works. I wanted to do something different. So, I worked by observing the evolution of our social relationships in today's world with the advent of new technologies. More the means of communication are intensifying, less we actually communicate. We don’t talk anymore, we chat online, we don’t cultivate our mind anymore; we connect online. We don’t confide anymore; we expose our life via social networks. Our style of communication is more direct, fast, without nuance, where the thinking time, the power of silence, the murmur of a hesitation and an emotion disorder disappear little by little. I wanted to describe this visually and the architecture of this hotel was attractive to me to realize it.
Why wood?
It’s been very fortuitous. I am a true lover and collector of Extreme-East and Tribal Arts Antiques, so I have always traveled to the wildest destinations to find the rarest pieces. One day I was in the North of Thailand when I saw these extraordinary stumps and I immediately wanted to revive them.
I love your expression: “What nature did, time sublimated.”
In fact what differentiates Art from Beauty? Beauty depends on each individual: cultures, roots, education. Art however relies on two important things to me: emotion and atemporality. Time and nature are universal and the essence of life.
It seems pretty unsual for a living artist to be in museums, hotels and private living rooms.
You’re completely right. I am lucky to have friends who include me in a universe where people have an interest in Art, who have houses that allow monumental pieces. Also, I worked a lot in adornment with designers who think of me when they have a project strongly related to nature. As for museums, I think what they like is the atemporal aspect that is expressed in a new creative manner.
I have been lucky since my childhood to be able to live everywhere in the world so I have a certain impartiality towards esthetics. When you live in South America, Africa, Asia, North America, or Europe, standards are different. But you have the possibility to find something that would be kind of universal. I found both in sculpture and painting something that could be readable for all cultures.
You have been living in Asia for 10 years now…What attracted you to Asia?
At first I was doing back and forth trips between Europe and Asia to find the raw materials for my work. At some point it was taking a toll on my family life and my bank account… We decided to move to Thailand and all of us are happy with this decision.
Did Asian cultures influence your Art?
Not really. I have lived in so many countries, and this cumulated experience has turned me into an observer. They made me who I am now. I am able to stay myself, anywhere in the world and keep my genuine emotion.
What would you like American people see in your art?
When I lived in the US nobody cared about ecology. Today you live it, it is gaining importance. I think that I could bring to them this part of the world, nature, time and roots that they need because actually the US have a pretty short and recent history. Maybe a different reflection coming from someone who is a citizen of the world can bring them some thoughts. I say that in all modesty of course, but that could be my added value to the American Art market.
Do you see other new things in the artistic field?
Yes, the American market is changing! People are very open-minded. They are open to the fact that we could express something that they have never seen or that they have seen but in a new way.
What is your latest actuality?
I’m about to sign contracts with a major hotel in China, in Hamburg, with an individual client in London… I like working on demand because I feel like people trust me and it is a personal challenge.
I also plan to make an exhibition but not something classic. I’d like to make people feel that Art is not only about cocktails, it’s about shared emotions. I am not going to rush it, I need to find the right time and concept.
Thank you very much Michael!
