Whitewall caught up with the artist to see how his work has evolved over the years, why he’s communicating history and his hybrid culture through art, and what his residency with LVMH has included thus far.
Paris is home for the artist Raphaël Barontini, but today, he’s in Singapore at the Tannery Heng Long. In the city of lions, he’s found himself under the care of LVMH for its artist in residency program—Métiers d’Art. As the fifth resident of the program, he’s partaking in a long-term residency program to immerse himself in his work, and the craftsmanship of other local artisans. As a product of his time there, he’s working on an entirely new body of work, mixing painting, textile, and crocodile leather for wearable works.
Behind glass, Barontini also has solo show—“Caribbean Fantasia,” curated by Sara-Jayne Parsons for the Fort Worth Contemporary Arts andThe Galleries at TCU University—that’s been postponed due to COVID-19. While visitors are unable to see it up-close, they can gaze at his photographic imagery on textiles, installations that conjure ritual, and printed fabrics from afar.
