George Camille was born on the island of Mahe in 1963 and spent his childhood on the island of La Digue. Both are principal islands of the Seychelles.
Initially self taught, George later developed his eclectic yet distinctive style through more formal tuition, including periods of study at Blackheath College of Art and Goldsmiths College, both in London.
A number of important collaborative friendships with fellow artists also helped to focus Camille’s direction as an artist, most notably his work with ‘Tonga Bill‘ Fehoko, the Martinique artist Habdaphai and the French artist Mikel Chaussepied, who introduced Camille to the techniques of etching; today a key element in the artist’s work.
In 1987 George established Sunstroke Studios in Seychelles and, in so doing, provided and outlet for his design and craft activities alongside his original fine art work. This successful initiative was followed in 1997 by the restoration of an old wooden colonial house, Kaz Zanana, which George opened as his first gallery in the Seychelles. This was followed in 2004 by the opening of the George Camille Gallery at Anse Gaulette on the island of La Digue .
Today George’s work continues to be show-cased in both galleries, as well as Sunstroke Studio outlets on Mahe and La Digue. Georges work is also much sought after for exhibitions and sale in independent galleries and gallery spaces in selected hotels.
George has staged numerous ‘one man’ and group shows in Seychelles, Mauritius, Martinique, Reunion, Germany, China and Mali. He also staged major exhibitions of new work in Beijing and represented Seychelles three times at the Venice Biennale. George has original work in numerous private collections worldwide, and has completed a significant number of commissions, private, public and corporate.
George continues to produce prolifically, incorporating a wide range of materials and processes in the development and articulation of his personal visual mythology. His most recent work has incorporated elements of ‘objet trouve’ (found objects) into mixed media work which sees George experimenting with metal, resin, relief work and, as ever, painting and drawing. Examples of the work may be viewed on the Gallery pages of his website.
George Camille is married, with three children, and lives and works on the islands of Mahe and La Digue.