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LONNE raphaël

[1910, Montfort-En-Chalosse, France — 1989, Bordeaux, France]

A sensitive child of fragile health, Raphaël Lonné left school at age 12. He held various jobs: tram conductor, concierge… and eventually postman.
During the 1950s, he discovered his artistic abilities during spiritualist séances. His early drawings combined writing and human or animal figures. Over time, his work became increasingly abstract. Lonné described his method as follows: “I begin somewhat mechanically, I make arabesques, I embellish, but without having any preconceived idea beforehand.”
In 1963, Jean Dubuffet discovered his work through Gaston Ferdière, a doctor close to the Surrealist artists.