CHANTAL WESTBY
CW / Westby & Mercier 304 STUDIO
Based in Philadelphia, USA
E-mail: chantal@chantalwestby.art
Tel: +1 610 613 9619
Web: www.chantalwestby.com
Instagram: @chantal_westby_art
BIO
"The nature of life on Earth and the search for life elsewhere are two sides of the same question - the search for who we are."
Carl Sagan.
Chantal Westby is a French-American visual artist born in northern France.
From her childhood lived in a very modest and strict environment, she preserved the treasures and emotions of her imaginary escapades nourished by the stories of her late soldier father who served in Indochina and was affected like many by the war, but also by the refinement of the Asian way of life.
Inspired by these dreamlike childhood journeys, she spent her life building, shaping and embellishing her daily environment by using all the resources she could find around her.
Gifted with a strong sensitivity and an innate creativity, she has always known how to brighten her world and that of others. Her spirit, her vivacity, her passion for life, her empathy for others have shaped a unique, complex and complete personality.
Her artistic approach is in perfect harmony with the story of her life. It all starts with an observation, an idea, a questioning. There begins the journey where spirituality, light, mystery and the power of convictions are fused. She uses Art as a language, for which she builds, she embellishes, she suggests, she questions, she expresses.
The richness of every aspect of the universe is her inspiration.
She creates a world made of imagination, intuition and energy while evoking peace and lightness with a touch of reality.
Chantal Westby's life could be divided into two distinct parts, the French and the American one, both separated by an ocean but connected by Art.
Graduated from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, her fashion design career allowed her to express her first artistic emotions through textiles. Refusing codes and limits, she quickly began to recycle and integrate other materials into her creations.
A personal event brutally put an end to her career and her French life. After moving to the United States at the end of the 80's, the expression of her creativity would take shape in the complete interior design of her home, for which she would make it a point of honor to use and reinvent old furniture and objects found at flea markets to give them a second life inspired by the Empire style. This sumptuous decor was published in various interior design magazines.
With this first American work completed and in need of a new artistic expression, she decided to expand her technique and studied art and painting at the PAFA (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts).
Since then, she has continued to expand her technique through increasingly larger works, integrating new mediums to eventually create true sculptures today. Of all those times and productions, only one of them, inherited from her father's Asian narrations, has remained with her: ink. Pure, diluted, pigmented or dried, it is used in almost all of her creations.
Her history and that of her entourage have led to affinities with tangible creative themes such as global warming, space conquest and the resulting pollution, as well as mystical themes such as the journey of souls or the origin of life, which invite us to question much wider issues.
Since 2017 and her encounter with the French multimedia artist and photographer Lénaïc G. Mercier, they combine their two worlds to create immersive and interactive installations on these themes.
Driven like any human being by her doubts and contradictions, she now devotes a large part of her work to educating and awakening consciousness.
"I feel that the impact of my daily actions, which I try to be as small as possible, versus the reality of the current planet’s situation is a real struggle for me.
The immaculate figurative portrayal of consumerist abundance in my artwork contrasts with reality. Our planet is dying under the burden of humanity's actions and waste.
My work as an artist takes on its full meaning, if I can humbly convince and sensibilize even one person to understand that our earth is being abused and that we must do all in our power to preserve it."
Chantal Westby's artworks have been exhibited in numerous solo and group public art shows in multiple US cities including New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC and in Europe Paris, Cannes, Monaco, Lille, Nantes, Belgique, Suisse and her work has been featured in local, national and international art publications.
Westby’s artistic have earned multiple honors and awards including the 2022 STATE MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA first place Award for the sculpture "Child Of The World".
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Active in the community as well, she supports various foundations and NGOs such as From Here to Haiti and Life Project 4 Youth.
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She lives and practices in Philadelphia.
EDUCATION
2006-2011 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia - USA
2006-2011 Main Line Art Center, Haverford - USA
1978-1981 BFA, Ecole Supérieure de la Haute Couture, Paris - France
MAIN SOLO EXHIBITIONS
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​2025 Save the date August- October 2025 for our show at the Henry Gallery at Penn State Great Valley in Malvern PA.
​2024” Shattered: A Visual Journey Through the Mind.” May 2–to June 2 .” Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Ave., Queens, NYC
2024 " The Forest" The human Impacts Institute New York , The Creative Climate Awards April 21st to May 20th. In Dumbo at 38 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY
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2024 Risky Beauty: Aesthetics and Climate Change March 28th until May 30 Curated by Cynthia HavesonVeloric -At the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. PA. USA
2023 Academy Natural Science Philadelphia, October 19th For GreenPhilly Exhibiting part one “Climate Change” Sculpture Child of the World and
4 murals sculptures.
2023 Chimera Gallery, from October 6th - October 28th, Curated by Neferteri Strickland; Philadelphia, PA- USA
2023 Sora West Art Fair, September 10, Conshohocken, PA 19428
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2023 Risky Beauty: Aesthetics and Climate Change Nurture Nature Center From April 14th to June 26th Curated by Cynthia HavesonVeloric - PA. USA
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2023 “InLiquid” Glass House + Meddow Philadelphia, Pa, July to August -USA This exhibition is made possible through the support of The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and The Penn Treaty Special Service District.
2022 "Art of the State", The State Museum of Pennsylvania, from August 2002 to January 2023 - Award first place / Sculpture "Child Of The World" - PA - USA
2022 Abington Art Center Pennsylvania, September 16th to October 24th / Curated by “Westby & Mercier"
2022 “Trenton Museum Society NJ. The 39th Ellarslie Open - USA
2022 “INLiquid” The annual ''New Now ''show, PA.- USA
2019 "Kaleidoscope" and "Akari", Ekko Galerie, Bordeaux - France
2019 "Global Warning", Alliance Française de Philadelphie, Philadelphia - USA
2019 "Incandescent", Delice & Chocolat, Ardmore - USA
2017 "Fiat#Lux - An Immersive Exhibition", Agora Gallery, New York City - USA
2016 "Akari - À l'Encre de mon Âme", Festival de Cannes - The Four Seasons l'Officiel Art Lounge, Cannes - France
2016 "After the Storm", Ringfeil Gallery, Haverford - USA
2016 "Kaleidoscope", Galerie Beau Soleil Espace Culturel, Monaco - France
2016 "Kaleidoscope", The Boscolo Palace Hotel, Nice - France
2015 Art Show, The Bazemore Galllery, Philadelphia - USA
2015 "After the Storm", E-Moderne Gallery, Philadelphia - USA
2015 "Light of Faith", The Bazemore Galllery, Philadelphia - USA
2015 "Akari", Galerie La Véranda Beausoleil, Monaco - France
2014 "Kaleidoscope", Galerie Loïc Vallée, Nantes, France
2013 "After the Storm", Majestic Hotel Festival de Cannes, Cannes - France
2013 “Kaléidoscope", B68 Galerie, Paris - France
2013 "Woman Mystery", PII Gallery, Philadelphia - USA
2012 "Wind And Air’’, Beauty Art Gallery, Newtown Square - USA
2012 “Light of Faith’’ Galerie des Beaux Arts de la Mairie,Valenciennes - France
2010 "The Apex of Transcendence", Agora Gallery, New York City - USA
2010 Nostology Gallery,
2010 Margot & Camille,
2009 Art Show, Main Line Art Center, Haverford - USA
MAIN GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 "Views", Dalian on the Park, Philadelphia - USA
2020 "Agility", Together We Art - Caritative Art Fair to the benefits of LP4Y, New York City - USA
2020 "Invisible Landscapes" , The ARTillerie Group, Bala Cynwyd - Curated by Maria Kraybill, Philadelphia - USA
2017 "Undefined Abstraction", SMSU Art Museum, Minnesota - USA
2016 "Asian Touch" Art Hamptons, Long Island - USA
2015 The Bazemore Galllery, Philadelphia - USA
2015 Expo Art Monaco, Monaco - France
2014 Salon "Business Art", Espace Pierre Cardin, Paris - France
2014 Emergent Art Fair, Grand Opera House, Washington DC - USA
2014 Art Osaka, Osaka - Japan
2014 The Moon Art, Festival de Cannes, Cannes - France
2014 Art Expo Toronto, Toronto, Canada
2012 “Kaléidoscope", Mag Art expo, Galerie SchopArt, Montreux - Suisse
2012 InLiquid Art Design, Pop-Up Gallery, Bryn-Mawr - USA
2012 Art Fair, Grand Opera House, Washington DC - USA
2012 Green Art
2011 Immaculata University Art Show, Malvern - USA
2010 Art Show, Bryn Mawr Trust, Bryn Mawr - USA
2010 Art Show, Merion Art Center, Merion - USA
SPECIAL PROJECTS
2019 "Global Warning - An Interactive Exhibition", Alliance Française de Philadelphie, Philadelphia - USA
2019 "Living Art", multimedia concept developed with Lénaïc G. Mercier
2017 "Fiat#Lux - An Immersive Exhibition", Agora Gallery, New York City, USA
MAIN PRESS REALEASES
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2023. My sculpture, "Point No Return," was highlighted in an article published in April 2023 by Anna Piecuch for The Brown & White newspaper
2023 Featured in the Artmajeur & Artsper
2022 ''Chantal Westby: Artist and Humanist!'' Interview with the Journal of the ArtsixMic
2020 La Voix du Nord
2019 Huffington Post France
2018 French Quarter Magazine
2017 The Brooklyn Rail
2016 Monaco Matin and Nice Matin
2015 La Voix du Nord
2014 Presse Océan
2014 Ouest France
2013 France Nord TV, l’Hebdo
2013 La Voix du Nord
2012 L’Observateur
2012 La Voix du Nord
2012 Art Is Spectrum, The Chelsea perspective
2012 Radio Campus France
TV APPEARANCES
2024 September: Filmed for three days for Belgian television, discussing my studio and the creative life of an artist.
2004 to 2012 "America, America" - French-Belgian documentary that explores my emergence as a contemporary painter (6 episodes)
2012 to 2013 Documentary film for French channel NRJ 12 (3 episodes)
2015 “Money Matters” - Interview “Art as an Investment"
2011 Philadelphia Public Television
2011 Bonnie Squires TV show
2011 “Money Matters” TV Show
PUBLICATIONS
2024: Published my biography in both French and English. Title: An Exceptional Destiny
2024: September Published a book titled ‘The Ocean, the Earth, Space, and Humanity’ – a work of art. Also featured in gallery albums showcasing our immersive art, sculptures, and paintings.
2024:: August Published another book titled ‘The Ocean, the Earth, Space, and Humanity’ – The Big Book Project,’ - a work of art highlighting the artistic career, philanthropic efforts, and activism within the community.
2017 Art E-Book "Fiat#Lux"
2016 Art Book "À l'Encre de mon Âme"
2015 Art Book "Akari"
2014 Art Book "Tryptiques"
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