'Martinique is my first source of inspiration'. Christophe Mert.

CHRISTOPHE MERT

“Marcaraïmon’” = Martinique, Caribbean, World

Toi xToi = Moi

This piece invites us to start a dialog with oneself, introspection, a journey where meeting are important. The first journey through the first door with 4 flaps (symbolizing the 4 cardinal points). The mask is the one of the marcaraimon, this path allows us to discover our inner richness. Therefore the piece lets a mask appear in the face of the woman to mask her true face. They live in harmony, one feeding the soul of the other… interdependent.

To Be a Visual Artist is to work and express yourself using a whole range of different materials and techniques. My identity quest made me discover all the components of my people and led me to conclude that I belong to a multicultural society. Once I acknowledged that fact it was a real awakening to realize that this multi identity was a real strength and it had to appear in my creation. From that point forward, I looked for every possible way to let it shine in my work. In order to achieve it, I use multiple: surfaces (canvas, wood, etc...), the matter (wood, metal, earth, paper, paint, pastels, and polyester resin) and techniques (paint, sculpture, modeling, assembly).

Martinique, with all its diversity, is my first source of inspiration. I want to communicate through painting while putting my origin (Martinique) first, because this country by its complex journey offers me very extended cultural richness. Since several years, there has been a character that appears in my work that I call the “Marcaraïmon’” = Martinique, Caribbean, World. My multiple identities affirm in my compositions as: Martinique for roots, Caribbean for trunk and the world for branches.