In his recent series Les riverains, François Morelli pays tribute to his neighbors in Val-Morin, in the heart of the Laurentians, who live in close coexistence with the region’s aquatic landscapes. From his studio or while out walking, he observes and gives form, in his compositions, to the intimate relationship residents maintain with lakes and rivers as the seasons unfold. Human figures emerge in symbiosis with nature, in a poetic shift between the human and aquatic species. These hybrid, fluid forms suggest a world in which the boundaries between species dissolve, recalling our deep—often buried—connection to water and the ecosystems that sustain us.
This series resonates with a selection of works by Françoise Sullivan. Like Morelli, the artist adopts an empirical approach to painting, rooted in a sensory experience of the territories she traverses. Created upon her return from a journey to Turkey, Sullivan’s watercolors are free interpretations of landscapes she explored.
