Le peuple vertical

The exhibition 'Le peuple vertical' ('The vertical people') by Fabienne Claesen, Belgian artist born in 1959 in Louvain, includes sandstone sculptures recognizable at first glance as these works are unique, as well as paintings based on natural pigments (including clay) on paper, mounted on canvas by the artist herself.
The sexed sculptures form the vertical people who, from the top of their wise restraint, wander in the gallery with serenity and invite us to further rise. They vibrate in tune with the equally sexed paintings, whose sensuality is projected beyond the canvas.
Fabienne Claesen works 'with' the earth, this happens in the tips of her fingers and she plays, she plays, she plays, and sometimes she dances. She expresses without words what she sees and feels, with passion, sometimes with an anger that pushes her forward and makes her progress.
She marouflages her pictorial works on canvas with so much energy that she paints them. She has taken this technique from her teacher who says today that the student has surpassed the master. Never a rubbed work has sung so fair.
Fabienne Claesen is a decidedly free artist and likes to evoke a quote from Alexandre Scriabine who, as she says, represents her: "Love life with all your being and you will be happy forever. Do not be afraid to be who you want to be. Do not fear your desires. Fear neither life nor suffering. There is nothing greater than victory over despair. Fear never to desire and do what you want ... In other words: do not fear freedom!"