About the artist
Drawing was
my island, my refuge …
—
Christine Sefolosha was born in Switzerland, near Montreux on Lake Geneva shores. As an only child, she grew up under her mother’s care who lovingly encouraged her imaginative streak and left her to explore it freely. Passionate about horse riding, the young girl told herself stories and created worlds inhabited by horses and animals. When she turned 20, and was about to start Fine Art School, life, in an odd turn of events, brought her to South Africa. Her first six years there were spent in a protected environment within the White community. Family was a priority. But she continued drawing. With assiduity. Animals chiefly. Until a time when she became conscious of the harsh realities of Apartheid. Her escapades into the townships confronted her with the gagged, undercover culture of its people. Music, theatre, dance, visual arts: such an amazingly rich, creative streak was revealed to her through her wanderings. This experience would forever change Sefolosha. From then on, the artist realized that she could no longer be content to reproduce just the surrounding reality, but that she must imperatively explore the depths of her feelings, find her place in the world, in other words, realize herself as an artist. Coming home to Switzerland in the early of the 1980s, Christine put all her energy into reaching her goal. Her first solo show in Vevey in 1988 became the beginning of a path that has brought her to exhibit around the world.
La tête à l’envers
Marlène Métrailler
Laurence Froidevaux et Marlène Métrailler
(March 26, 2016)
About the artist
Drawing was
my island, my refuge …
—
Christine Sefolosha was born in Switzerland, near Montreux on Lake Geneva shores. As an only child, she grew up under her mother’s care who lovingly encouraged her imaginative streak and left her to explore it freely. Passionate about horse riding, the young girl told herself stories and created worlds inhabited by horses and animals. When she turned 20, and was about to start Fine Art School, life, in an odd turn of events, brought her to South Africa. Her first six years there were spent in a protected environment within the White community. Family was a priority. But she continued drawing. With assiduity. Animals chiefly. Until a time when she became conscious of the harsh realities of Apartheid. Her escapades into the townships confronted her with the gagged, undercover culture of its people. Music, theatre, dance, visual arts: such an amazingly rich, creative streak was revealed to her through her wanderings. This experience would forever change Sefolosha. From then on, the artist realized that she could no longer be content to reproduce just the surrounding reality, but that she must imperatively explore the depths of her feelings, find her place in the world, in other words, realize herself as an artist. Coming home to Switzerland in the early of the 1980s, Christine put all her energy into reaching her goal. Her first solo show in Vevey in 1988 became the beginning of a path that has brought her to exhibit around the world.
La tête à l’envers
Marlène Métrailler
Laurence Froidevaux et Marlène Métrailler
(March 26, 2016)
About the artist
Drawing was
my island, my refuge …
—
Christine Sefolosha was born in Switzerland, near Montreux on Lake Geneva shores. As an only child, she grew up under her mother’s care who lovingly encouraged her imaginative streak and left her to explore it freely. Passionate about horse riding, the young girl told herself stories and created worlds inhabited by horses and animals. When she turned 20, and was about to start Fine Art School, life, in an odd turn of events, brought her to South Africa. Her first six years there were spent in a protected environment within the White community. Family was a priority. But she continued drawing. With assiduity. Animals chiefly. Until a time when she became conscious of the harsh realities of Apartheid. Her escapades into the townships confronted her with the gagged, undercover culture of its people. Music, theatre, dance, visual arts: such an amazingly rich, creative streak was revealed to her through her wanderings. This experience would forever change Sefolosha. From then on, the artist realized that she could no longer be content to reproduce just the surrounding reality, but that she must imperatively explore the depths of her feelings, find her place in the world, in other words, realize herself as an artist. Coming home to Switzerland in the early of the 1980s, Christine put all her energy into reaching her goal. Her first solo show in Vevey in 1988 became the beginning of a path that has brought her to exhibit around the world.
La tête à l’envers
Marlène Métrailler
Laurence Froidevaux et Marlène Métrailler
(March 26, 2016)
Magazine "Miroir de l’Art", 2021
Christine Sefolosha -
Embarquement pour l’imaginaire
Magazine "Telerama", 24/11/21, par Bénédicte Philippe
Christine Sefolosha -
Odyssée nocturne
Musée Jenisch, Cabinet Cantonal des Estampes, Vevey, 2021
Acquisition de la collection des Estampes du Canton de Vaud
>>> Cabinet cantonal des estampes
« le Capitaine » 2010, monotype, 140x170cm
Public collection of canton de Vaud, Musée Jenisch, 1800 Vevey
Florence Milloud Henriques, Journal 24 heures, 31.10.2021
Le Musée Jenisch effeuille
une Marguerite sauvage
>>> Lire l'article en entier
Émission RTS la Première, "Vertigo" 02.11.2021
Marguerite Burnat Provins,
une millenial avant lʹheure!
>>> Écouter l'émission
Florence Milloud Henriques, Journal 24 heures, 26.08.2019
Christine Sefolosha largue
son mystère à Chillon
>>> Lire l'article en entier
Le plus intime de ses papiers de Chine, le plus monumental aussi avec ses cinq mètres de long, est encore à terre dans la salle des Armoiries du château de Chillon. Christine Sefolosha est agenouillée, protectrice. L’artiste tente de refouler un souci au montage par une concentration extrême, un pot de colle blanche dans la main, un fer à repasser pas loin. À proximité encore, cette boîte à outils en bois, aux airs d’amie de toujours. ...
Interview RTS, "Nez à nez" 5.102019
Nez à nez avec
Christine Sefolosha ...
>>> Écouter l'émission
Lʹartiste suisse romande Christine Sefolosha hante le château de Chillon de gigantesques monotypes peuplés de vaisseaux, de créatures mystérieuses dialoguant avec les peintures murales du château et les perspectives lacustres. Lʹartiste est au micro de Florence Grivel.
L'exposition "Larguer les amarres" est à découvrir au Château de Chillon à Veytaux et à la Galerie de lʹUnivers à Lausanne, jusquʹau 24 novembre 2019.
Interview RTS, "La tête à l'envers", 26.03.2016
Christine Sefolosha ...
la tête à l’envers
>>> Écouter l'émission
Christine Sefolosha a toujours dessiné. Enfant déjà. Toute petite quand elle habitait sur la Riviera. Plus tard, dans la région de Berne. Elle a toujours dessiné. Avec talent et avec application. Elle faisait ses gammes, dit-elle aujourd’hui, en y songeant. À l’approche de la vingtaine, au moment d’entrer dans une école d’Art, Christine Sefolosha rencontre son mari. Elle le suit à Johannesburg, met au monde un garçon, et dessine toujours.
À la fin des années septante, Christine Sefolosha découvre la culture des townships. Révélation. Bouleversement. À partir de là, rien ne sera plus comme avant. Une artiste s’annonce. Deuxième mariage, avec un saxophoniste africain de talent. Impossibilité de vivre cette union dans une Afrique du Sud soumise au régime de l’apartheid. Les Sofolosha s’exilent en Suisse. Christine vivra bientôt un deuxième choc: la découverte de l’art brut. À partir de là, elle poursuit un chemin de création aussi fertile que personnel.
Rencontre avec une artiste habitée, à l’occasion de la parution de “Timeless Wanderer”, 25 ans de création, chez Till Shaap Edition.
Une proposition de Marlène Métrailler, dans une réalisation de Sacha Unger.
Huffington Post: Culture & Art Article
Self-Taught Artist Christine Sefolosha Explores Where
The Wild Things Are
>>> Read full article
Magazine "L'Oeil", Août 2018
Puissances oniriques
singulières
