Born in Manchester, England, Nicole Lavigne grew up between two worlds: Europe and Africa. Childhood in the Central African Republic, fascination for equatorial flora, luminous faces and wild fauna… this early immersion shaped a gaze that is sensitive, curious, and deeply committed. Now living in Saint-Bardoux in the Drôme, after many years in the Paris region, the painter continues to create in close harmony with nature, surrounded by her animals, and inspired by long horseback rides with Ti-Punch and her loyal dog Radjah.
Nicole Lavigne transcribes this intimate bond with the living world onto her canvases. She stands within the lineage of contemporary wildlife art — and elevates it to a form of militant expression. Portraits of wild animals, human-like gazes, vegetal or natural scenes: each work carries a strong message, a silent cry for endangered species, a chromatic alert about the threats to our planet. “Contemplate, understand, protect”: such is her credo — an art of respect and awakening.
