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Artist Statement:
Celebrating life in its
eternal transformation,
rediscovering the idea of the
"Divine Feminine" , and
investigating the female
psyche are the leading motifs
in my work. I like to examine
women’s roles in society’s
power structures and their
access to spiritual power in
different domains.
We are what our stories and
cultural beliefs make us. In
Western culture woman has
often been defined from an
overbearing male perspective.
I now revise these myths in
order to pull out new patterns
in our consciousness, as
women’s experience cannot be
diminished anymore. The new
images of the Divine carry
more softness, vulnerability
and tenderness, as I want to
embrace the sensual as part of
our spiritual nature. My
goddesses are personifications
of the energies that inform
life.
I use the rich vocabulary of
my blended cultural heritage
and I draw my inspiration from
the wealth of traditions found
in the myths of past
societies, especially African
Societies.
My quest is to weave a visual
story through metaphorical use
of symbols tying the past to
the present.
Patterns are part of the
traditional quilting language.
Here they also make a
statement, express visions and
add essential information to
the meaning. They ...
Further Information
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Artist Exhibitions:
Exhibitions
2001 “Letters From Afar”,
Diggs Gallery, Winston-Salem
State University, NC
2001 “Saints & Goddesses”,
Irving Art Center, Irving, TX
2001 “Import /Export”, Woman
Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
2001 “Kindred Spirits: A
Visual Journey”, Quorum
Gallery, Dallas, TX
2001 “Beyond and Behind the
Mask”, Pittsburgh Center for
the Arts, Pittsburgh, ...
Further Information
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Artist Galleries:
Coming Soon!
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Collections:
Collections (Selected)
University of Texas at Dallas.
President ‘s Office
Kansas Community College,
Kansas City, MO
Methodist Hospital, San
Antonio, TX
Dr. Celeste Bonsignore, San
Antonio, TX
Mrs. Cordova, Mexico
Mr. Jacobson, Brookline, MA
Mr. & Mrs. Hemminghaus, San
Antonio, TX
Mr.& Mrs. Mc Nary, Dallas, TX
Mrs. Robbins, Orlando, FL
...
Further Information
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Commissions:
Coming Soon!
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Reviews for Beatrice Lebreton:
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Bibliography (selected)
2002 “French artist will speak....”, The Chronicle, Winston-Salem, Vol.28 No.25, Feb 21
2001 “Artists of the Mask”, The International Review of African American Art, Volume 17
2001 Eve Modzelewski, “Face to face”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 3
2000 Mike Daniel, “Critic’s Choice”, The Dallas Morning News, June 16
2000 Tom Sime, “Arts Out there”, The Dallas Morning News, April 131
1999 Folio, A literary Journal of American University, Fall & Winter/Spring
1997 “Echoes of Africa: A Cultural Journey”, Midland Reporter, October 12
1997 Kerry Ginis, “Art commemorates cultural journey”, Odessa America, October 9
1996 Michele Majors, “UTD professor showcase art at African Harvest Festival”,
U.T. Dallas News
1996 Michael Hill, “Artists share African roots”, Star Telegram, October 10
1996 “Watercolor Month”, American Art Review, March
1995 Anyika McMillan, “The Artist at work: Béatrice Lebreton”, Dallas Examiner,
August 10
1991 Blair Corning, “Watercolorist has yet to hit peak”, San Antonio Express News,
June 23
Broadcasts
2001 Irving Community Television Network, “About Towne”, interview with Catherine
Whiteman, October 3
2001 WFAA.TV, Channel 8, “Metro” interview with Angelique Tégé, September 30
1996 Irving Community Television Network, “A Cultural Odyssey”, January 31
1995 KMPX, Channel 29, interview with Mr. Obregon, August 11
Excerpts from an article about the exhibition “Bits of Life, Patches of Dreams” written by Vicky Meek.
The quilt. The mere mention of the word typically evokes feelings of warmth and comfort....the creative territory of women throughout history, the art of quilting extended beyond merely the world of art and craft. Indeed, quilting served a social as well as utilitarian purpose. Women gathered together to exchange patterns , assist each other, and “gossip” about the community’s latest happenings. It is this social interaction and the use of the activity as a vehicle for “women talk” that motivated a recent exhibition......
In the time honored tradition of the Griot, Beatrice Lebreton is a storyteller, a keeper of family history. She uses her art to tell these stories from a distinctly feminine perspective. Sometimes the stories offer a historical viewpoint and other times they are more allegorical. Lebreton always seeks to find the bridge between the present and the past ...
Lebreton’s work illustrates the breadth of her life experiences. Her extensive travel throughout Africa and Europe in conjunction with a solid academic background in African Art and Ethnography, more than aptly prepared Lebreton to investigate the marriage of textural and coloristic elements as an artistic device. The multi-layered patterns comprising the backdrops for many of Lebreton’s work reference the traditional patterns of the Kuba people’s textiles while oftentimes incorporating the icons of the Akan and Yoruba peoples. In addition to a fervent interest in texture and color, Beatrice Lebreton’s work seeks to consider the female psyche. Her beautifully rendered figures recall the grandeur and majesty of ancient Yoruba sculpture, while finding an affinity with the more contemporary imagery of the “Strong Black Sistah” made popular in the 60’s Black Arts Movement. Dignity is probably the most appropriate word to describe the manner in which Lebreton women occupy their respective positions within the image’s composition. The steadfast gaze or erectness of a stance speaks volumes to the viewer about the fortitude of these modern day goddess figures......
...Color, like texture plays a prominent role in the effectiveness of Beatrice Lebreton’s art....(she) maintains complete control over her use of color..... Like the powerful images of women that comprise the subject matter of these works, the colors command their own respect. They serve to punctuate the visual interplay created by the patterns and iconography so deftly manipulated.... At no time are her color choices arbitrary. On the contrary, Lebreton deliberates with each piece over what colors best illustrate the mood and temperament she is trying to achieve. The end is a completely well conceived image and a totally compatible complement of artworks..
Vicky Meek is an installation artist, independent curator, art critic and the Manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center, a program of the Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Dallas.
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