Directly translated from Latin, "vita" means life. But in more contemporary definitions, its meaning expands to being "a brief biographical sketch," encompassing how it doesn't just simply imply life but also illustrates it.
Such terminology encapsulated the months that childhood friends Solenn Heussaff and Olivia d'Aboville spent together making art. Rooted from their salad days of crafting out of their sheer imagination, the duo—both moms in their current lives—officially presents a joint exhibit, aptly titled Vita.
Both art school graduates and fans of one another, the duo took one year to complete the multi-piece gallery, composed of textile works, paintings, and hybrids of both mediums. For Solenn, in particular, this was her first exhibit after Kundiman, which was released in March of 2021.
Solenn and Olivia, joined by curator Stephanie Frondoso, launched VITA at the Provenance Art Gallery in Taguig last December 2024. The two artists broke down what went into each piece, getting candid on the process of creating at this stage of their lives.
Solenn Heussaff and Olivia d’Aboville Present Their Collaborative Art Exhibit "VITA"
"Human perception of nature is always changing," Stephanie stated as she formally opened VITA. Visually, the collection is coded by lively colors embedded in paintings and woven fibers. Organic elements emerge as not only the subject of each piece but as the very medium used to create them.
Whereas Solenn painted portraits of plants in nearly fluorescent hues, Olivia pleated together fibers that ended up resembling colorful landscapes. A certain idiosyncrasy was palpable from each frame, which spoke of the "coexistence of contrast" present in nature itself.
Collectively, the gallery aimed to be a dynamic experience for those who see it. "Depending on sunrise or sunset [and] depending on who is looking, colors are never the same," Stephanie explained. Some paintings by Solenn are embedded on surfaces stitched together by Olivia, which, depending on the angle you view it from, changes the saturation or depth of the image.
The experience of working together was as organic as the subjects portrayed, Solenn and Olivia expressed. The former admitted that it was her idea to work on something together.
"After my last solo exhibit, I kind of got a bit depressed as no one was able to go to the show. So I stopped painting for two years. I had my kids, so I really focused on them," Solenn narrated. "When I decided that I wanted to do something for myself, it was a moment I wanted to share with someone."
Solenn candidly shared how Olivia was the only artist she had in her house at the time, so the thought of working with her was imminent. Nothing was forced between the two, from conceptualizing each piece to choosing which colors to highlight.
"We're kind of at the same points in our lives; Olivia has two beautiful boys, we both live in the south, and we got to reconnect and talk a lot," she added. "I think it was a no-brainer to do something together. There was more fluidity. It just flowed naturally."
Pieces from VITA have since been acquired by buyers. You may contact the Provenance Art Gallery for inquiries on future exhibits.
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