Sylvia Lotthé

Sylvia Lotthé is an Anglo-French artist based in Paris, near Montmartre.

She started working as a designer and illustrator in the textile and fashion field, which took her to many places around the world, either for short term assignments or longer stays (from 6 months to a few years).

Travelling has always been a big part of her life and in between jobs in various countries (Morocco, Australia, Indian Ocean, Brazil, Beijing, Italy), she travelled for pleasure and discovery, and started working on her travel sketchbooks in the early nineties (South East Asia, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, and India).

She then was selected to take part in the “Biennale of travel sketchers” (Biennale du carnet de voyage http://www.rendezvous-carnetdevoyage.com) in France and has had a few exhibitions of her sketches and paintings in Paris, in the Montmartre area as well as in Provence (https://lagendaduvin.com/evenement/art-vin-46#inscription).

Despite being based in Paris, her painting studio is in the South of France.

Her work is inspired by her travels as well as her experience in the textile/fashion field, hence the presence of colour, pattern, body attitudes, female figures and her passion for fabrics and ornament.

Her work is figurative. Portraits from reputable 19^th and 20^th artists have always inspired her (Otto Dix, Lucien Freud, Manet, Klimt, Hopper).

Her work conveys feelings of impermanence, calm, gratitude, and the fleeting aspect of life.

She also works as an illustrator (for publishing companies and brochures for the corporate world).

She also lived and worked in Shanghai/China, and continued sketching.

Her most recent publication of her Chinese drawings is at the Edition du regard/Esthétique du quotidien en Chine.( http://www.editions-du-regard.com/regard/ifm.htm)

In 2017 she will be showing her work in Leonberg as well as in a gallery in Provence.

Her sketches

Many trips feed her sketchbooks and drawings.

And vice-versa.

Views from afar, views close by

And her passion for architectural drawings.

Capturing instants. Story-telling the scenery.

Invited to the Biennale du carnet de voyage. (Biennale of travel sketchers)

Her sketches of China are published at the éditions du Regard.

Subjets : Rome, Sicily, Paris, London, Australia, Croatie, Asie, India, China, Sri Lanka, Palermo. And Provence, where her studio is.

Her paintings

Paintings and portraits

Imaginary and imagined.

They’re in her head.

They take shape as work starts.

According to inspiration, a reference, or a happy accident.

Often female subjects, at times androgynous.

Narrative.

Passion of fabrics, jacquards, embroidieries, ikats et batiks.

Each piece holds a secret story.

Through them, she conveys toughts about life, the impermanence and frailty of it, the importance of calmness and being grounded, yet humble.

The onlooker can find in them the mirror of his feelings.