Olivier O. Olivier, Turtle and tower of snails, 1989 44.5 x 31 cm

When the Olivier family went into exile during the Second World War, they took almost no belongings, apart from young Pierre-Marie’s pet tortoise. For the duration of the war, this animal would be a cherished presence for the child Olivier O. Olivier.

When he began drawing and painting, the turtle became a fetish animal in his bestiary. Here, it’s embellished with snail towers clinging to its shell.