Lucienne Peiry

Lucienne Peiry is an independent exhibition curator, essayist, and lecturer specializing in Art Brut (Outsider Art). Since 2010, she has taught regular courses on Art Brut at EPFL's College of Humanities while delivering lectures across European museums and universities. An alumna of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), she earned her doctorate in Art History in 1996 under Professor Michel Thévoz, a pivotal figure in Art Brut studies.

Her educational background includes a doctorate in Art History from UNIL (1996) and a journalism diploma from Swiss Radio and Television (RTS) in 1991. Her career trajectory began with an independent exhibition on Art Brut history that toured internationally, followed by leadership roles at Lausanne's Art Brut Collection from 2001-2011 as both head and later Director of Research and International Relations.

Peiry's research centers on the psychological and cultural dimensions of Art Brut, emphasizing creators' inner necessity and perceptual innovation. Through fieldwork across Europe, Asia, and Africa, she documents self-taught artists who develop autonomous artistic systems free from institutional constraints. Her work positions Art Brut as a transformative force that challenges Western thought by awakening buried emotional landscapes and revealing humanity's innate creative capacities.

Her recent publication focuses on Fernando Nannetti's artistic universe, continuing her exploration of how Art Brut functions as a survival mechanism and silent protest against social exclusion. This aligns with her broader mission to illuminate the profound connection between artistic creation and psychological resilience.

Peiry actively curates exhibitions that bridge disciplines, such as 'Rhinocéros féroce?' at Lausanne's Museum of Zoology (2020), which juxtaposed Gaston Dufour's Art Brut works with natural history specimens. She frequently leads guided tours of Art Brut collections, sharing firsthand insights into creators' lives and emphasizing the genre's capacity to generate intense emotional responses through its raw authenticity.

As a passionate advocate, she argues that Art Brut's true value remains underrecognized despite growing interest. Her work consistently centers on the conviction that these creations—born from 'ignorance' of artistic conventions—reveal fundamental truths about human creativity and the power of unmediated expression.