Born in 1959 in Brittany, Bruno Cavellec is a self-taught artist and illustrator living on the Isle of Man. Bruno is well known and admired locally on the island. His work appears on canvas , album covers, books, films and gig posters. We caught up with Bruno recently for a Q+A ahead of his upcoming exhibition: My Mother's Son.
How would you describe your art style?
My art is a direct response to my life experiences. The unifying thread running through lots of my work is the primacy of emotions over reason and senses over intellect, one of the many characteristics that I share with 19th-century Romanticism. The landscape of the soul is often what I aim to explore with a strong emphasis on mood and atmosphere coupled with a sense of drama and endless longing.
What can we expect from your latest exhibition?
Although the main body of work derives from the passing of my Maman, ‘My Mother’s Son’ is not filled with the expected darkness. I chose not to go the route of making crushingly depressing art, but rather channeling my loss into something different, perhaps more subtle, yet always real. Universal themes such as loss, emptiness and nostalgia get a new exposure in peaceful settings.
Working on this exhibition has also given me a great opportunity to finally venture into a world that has fascinated me for some time now and to create a few illustrations in a comic book style. Something playful expressing the child in me as childhood memories of innocence are rekindled.
If you are prepared to bare your soul a little, it is likely to be useful to other people too. With this exhibition, I hope to evoke an awareness of one’s own journey through our mutual longing to connect. After all, connection is what gives purpose and meaning to our life.
This exhibition explores your journey through grief and personal loss, how far do you believe that visual art can convey more than words alone?
I am a great believer in the power of images and music over words. One quote says it all: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. When it comes to strong, difficult emotions, a single still image can convey the essence of an idea more effectively than a mere verbal description. As a visual artist, it’s not only a privilege but also a necessity to explore the freedom to be vulnerable and to feel.
How far has your artwork enabled you to explore the more uncomfortable emotions associated with grief?
I have always used art as my preferred way to deal with raw emotions. When I contemplated the options for my new show, the question was never “What am I going to show?” the evidence of loss dictated the creative process. The exploration of my emotions knows no boundaries. I’ll go as far as I need to in order to capture truthfully the essence of my personal experience. Early July, as soon as the intention to be real and honest was set, I followed my intuition and listened to my heart rather than my head. With ‘My Mother’s Son’, I wanted some key pieces to be as close as possible to the specific emotion that had generated the artwork in the first place. I didn’t compromise, I don’t think my mother would have wanted me to.
You work collaboratively with local and international musicians and music often features heavily in your work such as when you design album artwork. Tell us why this relationship between music and visual art is important to you.
Alongside art, my other absolute passion is music, so it’s only natural that I ended up collaborating with musicians. One of the things I love about creating art for music is that it often takes me to places I wouldn’t travel to on my own. Because of the nature of the collaborative process, I get to incorporate stories inspired by others and find a common ground where we can both bring our personalities in the project. Lately, while searching for new exciting ways to produce illustrations, I got into the fascinating world of digital art. It provided me with a chance to convey my ideas and generated more opportunities with international musicians. Designing album covers is now an essential part of my work and one of the most fulfilling.
What other projects have you been working on?
While my exhibition is on at Tynwald Mills, I’ll also be part of the Christmas Fair at the House of Manannan during the weekend of the 14/15 of November. Soon after, I’ll start working on the artwork for an exciting Manx/Breton music project, something very close to my heart as you can imagine. When all is completed, it’ll be time to get back to music making for a brand new chapter.
Where is the best place to stay up to date with your work?
Facebook and Instagram are the two main platforms where my art and music news are regularly updated.
Facebook @BrunoCavellecArt
Instagram @brunocavellec
The opening of 'My Mother's Son' is on Sunday the 25th from 2 to 4:30 pm at the Isle Contemporary, St. John's.
