Despite having lived in many countries, life in New Zealand has made an everlasting impression on French-born artist, Frédérique Stref. Its unique landscape has influenced her art hugely over the last couple of years.
“I feel much more relaxed and serene here, and I think this has transferred into my art,” says Frédérique. “I was more stressed living in Asia, and you can see this in my paintings during that time. Even the colours are different now, more aligned with nature and what I’m seeing and feeling.”
Born in Nancy on the northeast of France, Frédérique has lived all over the world, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Hong Kong and Singapore. She arrived in New Zealand with her husband for a job opportunity at the end of 2019, and has a studio in Point Chevalier.
“We’d spent 10 years in Asia with our children and had no idea what to expect, but instantly fell in love with Aotearoa. The open skies, the changing colours, and the intensity of the light here are all so incredible.”
Best described as abstract, Frédérique uses a unique creative method called ‘encaustic’, a technique in which pigments are mixed with hot liquid wax. She first stumbled across this process in an art gallery in Amsterdam. The sensuous texture of the medium struck a chord with her, reminiscent of her father’s glassmaking: “Time spent in his studio are among my most cherished childhood memories.” The texture and radiance of encaustic suited her sensory nature. “I find the result very interesting,” she says. “I love the idea of working with texture so much more than what paint alone allows. I can achieve a lot more depth, light or contrast. The encaustic method creates something far more profound and much more aligned with what I see in nature. It’s like the wax gives material form to the images I envision. It’s a very time-consuming process though and requires much patience!”
The unique sensitivity and physicality of encaustic wax is unlike any other medium and does not always respond faithfully to the artist’s creative effort, leaving part of the creative process open to chance. “It takes a long time to get the colours correct, and some works may take me anywhere from three weeks to three months to perfect,” she says.
“The open skies, the changing colours, and the intensity of the light here are all so incredible.”
Nature aside, Frédérique’s daughter has also been an inspiration over the last few years while she was unable to see her in person due to travel restrictions, as she lives in Paris. “There are many pieces I’ve done where I was thinking of my daughter,” says Frederique. “We were in touch over the phone obviously, but not being able to see her was incredibly hard and it was frustrating not to be there at important moments of her life. These Covid years have been tough, not being able to be with people I love, my pillars, my posts. We were robbed of so much time.” Yet equally, Frédérique expresses how grateful she is that she was able to use lockdown to truly immerse herself in nature and absorb the environment around her. “It was a time for introspection and solitude and a time to create,” she says.
“I’m really, truly grateful to have had this experience here in New Zealand because it has really touched me in a profound manner. I feel gifted and spoiled to be able to live here and experience life in this way. I love going to the beach and picking up on the vibration and sounds of the ocean and its power. With this open heart, I’ve been able to receive everything I’ve been missing previously.”
Frédérique’s latest exhibition was held on Point Chevalier beach and was a wonderful success. For now, she’s focussing on new pieces and also counting down the days until her daughter and three stepchildren join her and her husband for Christmas: “We’re super impatient to be able to finally share where we are been living with our children. My paintings that I’ve created while living here express all the feelings that I have felt over the last few years of absence: love, gratitude, hope, humility, and patience.”
View Frédérique’s work at Ligne Roset Showroom 299 Great North Road, Auckland or frederiquestref.com and contact her at art.frederique@gmail.com.
