Rajah Foo, Animals in the Woods

Rajah Foo was born on May 5th in 1965. Both of his parents worked as landscape gardeners. When he was a child, Foo found Pauline Réage’s book Histoire d’O in his mother’s books. Reading it was like discovering a hidden treasure. As a student at École Nationale des Beaux-Arts et Arts Appliqués in Nancy, Foo’s artistic output revolved around the theme of sexual energy. The libido manifested in various ways. Displayed among his artworks were sculptures of dancing couples, images of minotaurs, and explicit watercolor paintings. Foo differed from the other students, who focused on conceptual introspection. His work brought a sense of embarrassment and shame to his teachers. Foo learned from a general culture teacher that his style made him a unique artist. Meanwhile, his parents were worried about his studies. Foo’s mother provided support in her own way when he experienced financial difficulties.

Fig 1. Ce qu'on sait

Fig 2. Communicants

Fig 3. Nourriture terrestre

Fig 4. Mercredi

Two Key Artistic Influences

Foo’s inspiration stems from two key artistic influences. Hans Bellmer and his doll project and Max Ernst’s Une semaine de bonté. Bellmer’s dolls represent the psychological turmoil of his childhood, specifically his relationship with his father, who supported the Nazi party. Serving the same purpose as images, the doll becomes an effigy. Through his art, Bellmer expressed his feelings about his overbearing father, which gave him the strength to challenge authority figures. Bellmer’s work gave him a way to analyze the darker sides of human nature, which were rooted in his initial experiences with family tension. He aimed to examine social expectations while also investigating control, psychological wounds, and the dismembered figure.

Fig 5. La blancheur nouée

Intimately Entangled

An examination of Foo’s work elicits a sense of liberation, much like Bellmer’s, representing an escape from a dictatorial mindset. This freedom illustrates a devotion to the exciting and creative realm of a female archetype whose affections are unconstrained by moral boundaries, mirroring nature’s lack of judgment as described by the Marquis de Sade. This world is free of negative self-perceptions and emotional withdrawal, where the characters in Foo’s work become intimately entangled, their actions guiding one another.

In the extended Premium edition of the article more on the influence of the Surrealist Max Ernst, Foo's wife and Dionysian nature, and numerous additional artiworks. 

Rajah Foo is active on Instagram

Click HERE for the probing boundary lines and surfaces in the erotic work of the Swiss painter Miriam Cahn

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