For an established artist, it is one thing to be recognized by one’s full name, and quite another to be well-known by a nickname, which is typically reserved for family or companions. The familiarity their work reputation brings is a testament to the devotion these artists have for their craft, and a demonstration of how a type of warmth typically reserved for their most intimate circles is carried into and celebrated within their respective industries or areas of specialization.
Val, short for Valérie Goutard, is a prime example of an artist whose entire life embodies a romantic type of spirituality, possessing an almost childlike bewilderment of the world that emanates this still-pulsing warmth. Before the French-born sculptress perished in a tragic motorcycle accident, she grew up in South America, Africa, and Europe before settling in Bangkok in 2014 to pursue her artistic career.
She took this constant displacement in stride, her love of being a foreigner reflected in the way her magnetic bronze works attract viewers like bees to honey, a reflection of the humanity it was made with and is currently reflecting — piercing yet sensitive, foreign yet familiar, her lanky figurines inciting curiosity in perspective and emotion.
In addition, she is wholly self-taught, intuitive, and gifted the art of sculpture with a stroke of brilliance that saw bronze and glass combined. In fact, her affection for the patina-coated material prompted her to establish her roots in the only nation in the world that has maintained this ancient artisan industry.
Even though she was a natural at her craft, the late artist did not find success until she participated in the 2010 Shanghai Art Fair and the Jing’An International Sculpture Park Project with her first monumental sculpture, “Urban Life.” In the years that followed this critically acclaimed performance, she staged even more exhibitions and public installations throughout Asia and Europe, creating sculptures that embody her artistic and sculptural vision.
“Ocean Utopia,” a collection of bronze and marine concrete structures affixed to the seabed of Koh Tao in Thailand, is a particularly notable example of her passion for the environment and her desire to incorporate her art into it. What was once devoid of life and filled with “ugly” structures, as described by Val, is now teeming with corals, anemones, and other marine creatures, transforming the area into a sanctuary. Just a few months before her untimely death in October 2016, her husband, Frédéric Morel, created this performance as a tribute to their shared passion for diving. It remains one of her most significant works to date.
Recently, in 2022, her works were featured in an institutional exhibition as part of the Venice Art Biennale’s off-exhibition. This is the gravity-defying legacy she continues to leave behind despite her early passing. We are fortunate to have so many examples of her brilliance and love of natural rhythm, space, and patterns accessible today, thanks to her spouse and the ever-expanding art landscape.
Val, A Legacy will be held concurrently at Alliance Francaise de Singapour and REDSEA Gallery from 12 October to 18 November as a tribute to the late artist and her. The exhibition is part of the French Excellence programme.
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