Camille Cottier

Camille Cottier’s work is focussed on body politics and individuality as she navigates her own practice in relation to contemporary society and the art world. Her striking forms and abstract, gestural bodies present to us a series of distorted figures in bold colour palettes. Often impassive in expression, these figures are a part of a long line of characters in her ‘Les Bonshommes’ series. In 2014, Cottier’s Les Bonshommes series was born as she began to question her relationship between herself and the people around her - interrogating where her representation situated her position in society largely contributed to her interests in identity and form.

These figures have evolved throughout the past ten years to have a more abstract expression as this gives her more freedom to redefine bodies in a way that is both human and other worldly, monstrous and delicate. Cottier is constantly developing her practice into a more intimate narrative. Rather than solo figures, her works often depict two or more figures intertwined. While they are still separated by their contrasting colour palettes, they lean against one another or are seen asleep together. She retains her exploration of abstract versus human, but now they are experiencing her world together, rather than alone.