About Patricia Bifani

Chilean born artist Patricia Bifani studied sculpture, lithography and engraving, first in Chile, and then in Holland and Spain. After leaving Latin America, she lived and worked in Africa for several years, before moving to France, where she now lives. A fusion of African and Latin American cultural influences is a feature of much of Patricia’s work, which draws on the bold symbolism reflected in the exuberant traditions of both continents. Patricia draws particular inspiration from the magic induced in traditional African and Latin American societies through music, rhythm, ritual, and dance. Her work is also a response to the extraordinary richness, colour and diversity of life, both natural and cultural, on both continents. Over many years, Patricia has – in limited-edition prints of her colour lithographs and engravings – evolved a uniquely expressive style. Both print-making techniques have a long tradition among artists and illustrators. Lithography, which involves the drawing on a lithographic stone, has found favour among many leading artists, from Delacroix, Degas, Daumier and Lautrec in 19th-Century France to Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and other 20th-Century masters, and including (most recently) the British artist David Hockney. The use of engraving – the practice of incising a design on to a hard, flat surface, usually of copper or another metal, by cutting grooves into it boasts a similarly illustrious history in printmaking, particularly as a medium for illustrating books. Patricia’s limited-edition lithographic prints and engravings have been exhibited in many countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Malta and Spain, as well as in Kenya. Patricia has also provided illustrations for books and magazines, posters, brochures and pamphlets.