Corinne Boureau

Corinne Boureau fancifully pairs her portraits with elements of nature to create works steeped in magical realism.  Two people, each having grown antlers, butt heads like rival stags.  From the mouths of two other people, sprout branches on which birds perch.  When several other individuals open their mouths, birds escape like songs.  In other instances, butterflies form clothes for the naked or become hairstyles reminiscent of the exquisite styles found in Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.  Beyond just animal life, plant life grows like sinewy veins and clothing adornment throughout Boureau’s work.

Utilizing acrylic and emulsion on wood, Boureau keeps an artful balance of composition.  Her works are intricate line drawings atop a blank background. Without any complicated backdrops to contend with, her illustrations really pop off the matte surface.  Though the illustrations themselves are whimsical, the color palette is understated and muted.  Tawny reds and fluid ceruleans scratch and bleed into the otherwise gray background. As such, her art exudes a zen-like tranquility while still imparting liveliness.