Morning Ritual - from moroccan series Painting by Justine Formentelli

I create colourful dreamscapes inhabited by silhouettes of living creatures longing for an Elsewhere. My work evokes our endless quest for an elusive destination (be it a higher ground or a different emotional state) by contrasting movement and stillness, shadows and light, emotions and reality. One of my trademarks is the use of collaged elements, interwoven in complex layers of acrylics paint, to reflect the flotsam and jetsam of life. My colours are vivid: reflecting where I grew up (Caribbean and Morocco). Other key influences have been my travels and the works of Matisse, Frida Kahlo & Karin Mamma Anderson.