Tapon Catherine | Contemporary Artist: Artworks & Biography

Born in the Hauts-de-Seine region in 1959, Catherine discovered drawing while seeking refuge from the tragic events that marked her childhood. It offered her an escape and became her means of expression. In 1986, the premature loss of her father convinced her of the importance of living life to the fullest. Listening only to her heart, she dropped out of accounting school to open a studio in Normandy in order to live from her passion. In 1993, the artist left to settle in French Polynesia. This was a year of revelation. Polynesians became her favourite subject matter and she skilfully portrayed their faces in oil painting. This experience led her to appreciate the work of Gauguin (French painter of the nineteenth century), in which she finds the charm and colour of the inhabitants of the islands. Four years later, back in France, Catherine decided to settle in Provence. She immediately picked her brushes back up and discovered the "magic of pastels."