Artists Solenn Heussaff and Olivia d’Aboville celebrate their life-long friendship through ‘Vīta’ at the Provenance Art Gallery

After three solo exhibitions, Heussaff finally found the perfect opportunity to collaborate with her best friend. She also credits Raul and Joanna Francisco of Provenance Art Gallery, both of whom invited her to mount another exhibition.

“I knew I wanted my next exhibit to have a big impact. I hadn’t touched a paintbrush in one year due to personal struggles and being busy being a mum, so I feel I have a lot to share,” says Heussaff.

D’Aboville instantly agreed to do a duo show—a chance to collaborate she always grabs when the opportunity presents itself. But what made this one particularly special was their bond, so she could not turn it down.

“Collaborating with Solenn was seamless. She is a very organised person with solid goals and the talent and discipline to tackle any challenge she chooses,” says d’Aboville.

For her, Heussaff naturally brings out the best in everyone. Her professionalism and respectful attitude towards clients impressed d’Aboville.

“Since we never worked together before, the new side I discovered is how hands-on she is with all the aspects of mounting the show. For me, I'm only an artist, and it stops there. But her, not only is she the artist, but she's also the PR manager, the marketing manager and the director! Her view is global; she sees everything as a whole, cohesive and important,” shares d’Aboville, confident that the vernissage will be a party to remember, and it’s all thanks to Heussaff’s hard work.

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The exhibition’s curator, Stephanie Frondoso, shares that for this show, Heussaff used acrylic paints, modelling paste, oil pastels, acrylic pens, and gel impressions, while d’Aboville used textiles and threads.

“Despite the disparate materials, their works are balanced and harmonious when presented together,” she says. “The intricate details of Solenn’s paintings contrast well with the geometric shapes and stripes in Olivia’s pleated fabrics. Like nature, their works are built in layers, the contrasts enhancing each other’s beauty.”

Heussaff believes that, in addition to the friendship and life she shares with d’Aboville, they have the same ethos that weaves their artistic philosophy together.

“Olivia and I both like to bring awareness to things, be able to help other people and connect with strangers. I have always worked on bringing to light Filipino scenarios, and Olivia has always had a voice on recycling and helping women communities,” Heussaff says.

Although it took them decades to join hands in mounting a show as professional artists, d’Aboville still recalls exhibiting with Heussaff at the Peninsula Manila, together with fellow students from the Atelier of Raymonde Le Gal—34 years ago.

“We were 4 or 5 years old... Our teacher, who now lives in Spain, is so happy and proud of us. If it wasn’t for health issues, she said she wouldn’t miss our show for the world,” d’Aboville says.

For about a year, Heussaff and d’Aboville have tirelessly worked for Vīta, which included writing down topics they wanted to touch, keywords that resonate with them, and the colours they could use to make the show cohesive, considering their mediums vary differently.

Upon confirmation from Provenance of the show’s dates, d’Aboville ordered several rolls of fabrics from Cebu Interlace even though she was still practically clueless about what to make of them. For the pleated fabrics, d’Aboville resorted to what was left in her atelier’s storage. Purchasing materials that early gave d’Aboville enough time. However, she had to divert her attention to other work.

“My artisans started pleating the rolls in July and we had Solenn’s paintings printed on my fabrics at that time as well. It’s in September that I fully immersed myself in our show, having to catch up on everything as Solenn was already pretty much done on her side!” recalls d’Aboville. Yet despite the challenge, the organic creative process renewed her vigour in artmaking, and she is grateful for the support she received from the Franciscos and her best friend.

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In retrospect, Heussaff felt that her previous works were straightforward and a little controversial, which might be difficult to look at, depending on one’s mood. Hence, she wanted to work on something easier on the eye, more freeing, and that would evoke a sense of peace among its viewers.

“I started with two paintings, and none of them were working. So I just kept working on the same pieces, adding a different layer every day, using different materials like gel pads and oil pastels and really just playing around until one day I looked at them and realised both were layers of different emotions I was going through depending on the day. I thought it was beautiful and that many people would be able to associate that feeling,” Heussaff recalls. “All my current works are a mix of snippets of my feelings from joy, happiness, anxiety, sadness, frustration, inspiration and more. The loud and chaotic brain of the human species.”

Meanwhile, d’Aboville continued her recent explorations of pleats, trying to find a new way to use textiles for this show. Here, she displays the intricacies and labour involved in pleating fabrics.

“Olivia and Solenn have made bold departures from their past body of work while still keeping their own unique voices,” describes Frondoso. “They are evolving as artists, experimenting, driving the conversation forward on how art can be made and how art can communicate a theme on different levels.”

The Latin word Vīta translates to ‘life’. With the struggles from motherhood and the uncertainty stemming from the 2020 pandemic, Heussaff started reassessing certain surroundings and the people in her life.

Frondoso hopes audiences will appreciate the value of collaboration through this momentous show at Provenance Art Gallery. For the curator, it is important to note how bringing together disparate materials and techniques can form successful artworks.

“By looking closely at the details, audiences would realise that the artists’ ideas on nature’s fluidity and complexity are explored not only through subject matter but also through materiality, hence reinforcing their common vision. Perhaps the audience would experience the sublime, that simultaneous feeling of marvel and disquietude when faced with nature’s mighty grandeur.”

How do you feel about mounting this exhibition in this phase of your artistic career?

Solenn Heussaff (SH): Olivia is the most loving, humble person I know. She has always been the quieter one in the group, but when asked about her opinion on things, she's not afraid to talk or be challenged. She is a strong woman and one I look up to, so being able to stand alongside her for this show makes me feel just as strong. It's a great feeling to feel her support as well throughout this entire process.

Olivia d’Aboville (OdA): I have been very busy these past few years, having one or two solo shows per year, on top of which I add projects, group shows, commissioned works and, of course, my kids. My art was feeling a little bit like “work” this year with deliverables after deliverables. This duo show with Solenn was, for me, like a breath of fresh air where I had so much fun and found the passion again for what I do. I’m infinitely grateful for being able to do what I do for a living. It’s the best profession in the world, and this show reminded me of that.

In doing the artworks for this show, what have you realised or discovered in your creative process?

SH: Just like the tones of nature, my work at the moment has many layers born from different moods, angles, and perceptions throughout the painting process. I discovered it is nice to work with someone since, as an artist, you usually work alone. It's a quiet process, lonely at times. I loved asking advice from her on certain pieces and pushing each other to bring out more.

OdA: While working on my pieces, I realised I cannot force things. My process is very organic and has always been. I felt pressure for the show because I had so much catching up to do. Solenn started working on her pieces earlier this year and finished several months ago. Although I ordered my handwoven raffia and abaca textiles early on, it was only in July that we started pleating the hundreds of yards of beautiful textiles. After months of pleating, I finally started manipulating, cutting, and juxtaposing the fabrics in September. I had my eureka moment early on, and I love that feeling when everything comes into place. That feeling is unbeatable when you know you’re into something new and exciting. But all my previous works lead to that, I cannot dissociate the works I do individually. There is always a thread that links my past works to the new ones, even if the material and aesthetic is different.

⁠What do you think of the other’s works for this show? How do your pieces converse with them?

SH: Her works today may be my favourite yet. Though she has always worked with fabrics, she always finds new ways of giving them life. I feel that in this show, Olivia showed more of herself. There is some rawness to the softness of her recent works. Our works come together as we balance each other's styles out. Olivia’s work is more minimal and clean; mine is detailed in a different way.

OdA: I’m in awe of Solenn’s new works, and I think they are her best yet. I resonate with them because of the theme. The scale, the expressive quality, her intentions in the details and her intuition make for powerful paintings. The works are a result of introspection which make them very personal to Solenn. I think our works converse really well together as we use very different materials, and my works are abstract and minimal. They complement each other.

What does art mean to you, and how do you want to contribute to the dynamic art scene?

SH: I am lucky to be able to create things that have never existed before and that my work may speak to someone or give them a new perspective. Art means being vulnerable and exposed without needing to justify yourself. It is something I do for myself, and it helps me continuously learn and grow. But the best feeling as an artist is seeing how your work can spark conversation between total strangers, bringing people together.

OdA: Art, for me, is a means of expression, communication and storytelling. Nature’s beauty, the environment’s resources, humans’ catastrophic impact on the planet, and the urgency to preserve the environment have always been recurrent themes in my work. I hope these messages are translated into my works. I think textile [art] is getting a lot of attention around the world so I feel it’s a great time for me being a part of it and using Philippine fibers in my work. Weaving, embroidery, and quilting were once dismissed as crafts but it is finding its place in the art world now, which is very exciting. Another aspect of my work is that it is very community-based. I order hundreds of yards of handwoven textiles per year from Cebu and Palawan. In Manila, I have my artisans that come to my studio who pleat the textiles and embroider my creations. I love how my art can benefit others directly.

Vīta at Provenance Art Gallery has a by-invitation-only vernissage on December 5 and will open to the public on December 6. The show runs until January 5, 2025.

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