First published: Spring 2025
In her drawings, French créatrice Catherine Garrigue wanders “elsewhere”, through the visible and invisible, the earthly and unearthly, life and death
Catherine Garrigue’s artistic journey is deeply intertwined with her quest to reveal “the beauty of the mystery of creation and of the soul”. Her drawings are more than visual expressions; they are portals to invisible realms, reflecting personal explorations within herself. Now in her early seventies, Garrigue has enjoyed a lifelong passion for art that continues to evolve. After years of keeping her work private, the encouragement of her family has brought her drawings into the public eye, allowing us a glimpse into her mysterious, creative world.
Me, Like a Castle in the Air, Overlooking Destiny, 2023, ink pen and acrylic on paper, 16.5 x 23.5 in. / 41.8 x 59.5 cm; courtesy: Jennifer Lauren Gallery
Born in Paris in 1954, Garrigue studied art history at university, at the same time pursuing practical training in sculpture and pottery. After a career in vocational training for socially disadvantaged people, she opened her own clay modelling studio in 1996, first in Paris and then in the Périgord, in south-west France. There, she combined giving art lessons with her own artistic practice, exhibiting at prominent venues.
Dwelling of Eternal Returns, 2024, ink pen on paper, 16.5 x 23.5 in. / 42 x 59.5 cm; courtesy: Jennifer Lauren Gallery
Throughout her time of making three-dimensional art, Garrigue also maintained a drawing practice – but, in 2011, this underwent a remarkable change after the death of a family member left her devastated. The loss opened a doorway to a new form of creativity, leading Garrigue on a journey of discovery and healing through altered states of dreaming, deep thinking and meditation, where she encountered invisible realms embedded in her unconscious. It was these “mind visions”, as she calls them, that became the sole focus of her artmaking.
The Essential is Invisible to our Eyes, 2023, ink pen on paper, 11.5 x 16.5 in. / 29.5 x 42 cm; courtesy: Jennifer Lauren Gallery
By VIVIENNE ROBERTS
This is an article extract; read the full article in Raw Vision #122.
