ART CITIES:Basel-Leu Art Family

The mummy of Otzi, was discovered accidentally by hikers in 1991, together with his clothing and equipment, on the east ridge of the Fineilspitze in the Ötztal Alps on the Austrian–Italian border, near Similaun mountain and the Hauslabjoch pass and has been the subject of intensive research ever since. In his skin, identified 61 small tattoos organized into 19 different groups. Each group of tattoos is simply a set of horizontal or vertical lines. It is believed that the tattoos served a therapeutic or diagnostic purpose for the Iceman, because the tattoo groupings tend to cluster around the lower back and joints, places where Iceman was suffering from joint and spinal degeneration.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Museum Tinguely Archive

The Leu family is famous in the tattooing world.  Felix and Loretta Leu, made their living off their art traveling around the world with their children, Arna, Aia, Filip, and Ajja during the end of the 1960s and 70s. These years of traveling were fed by an artistic curiosity and, above all, gave shape to a familial cosmos. Thε exhibition “Leu Art Family. Caresser la peau du ciel’ was born out of the desire to present this cosmos through the artistic creations of all the members of this tribe. The artistic tradition started in the Leu Family with Eva Aeppli ( Felix Leu’s mother) who’s second husband was Jean Tinguely. Swiss artists they were part of the avant-garde art movement in the 50’s and 60’s in Paris where they lived in the quartier Impasse Ronsin, where they were friends with other artists Daniel Spoerri, Yves Klein and Niki de Saint-Phalle. Miriam Tinguely is an artist and the daughter of Eva Aeppli with Jean Tinguely. She resides in Switzerland, her more recent works are a combination of drawing, watercolor, engraving, and collage. Born in 1965, Jane Leu Rekas is Felix’s eldest child, she lives in Portland, Oregon. She works as a Transpersonal Therapist, and Certified Hypnotist, in private practice, in Hood River, Oregon. Jane has a B.A. ’87 in psychology from Reed College, and a Master’s in Social Work ’92 from Portland State University. A  Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 1997 Jane has 25 years experience as a mental health specialist. In 1965 Jean Tinguely had a tour of exhibitions on the east coast of America, Felix Leu was his technical assistant, at a show in New York Felix met Loretta Buscaglia. As fellow artists and as a couple they went on to travel the world and raise a family of four children; Filip, Ama, Aia and Ajja. Their first child, Filip Leu was born in Paris in 1967. Felix and Loretta had taken up tattooing during their travels and Filip learned the technique. With them he started the Leu Family’s Family Iron Tattoo Studio in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1982. A tattooer and painter, known for his artistic spontaneity and blending of surrealism and psychedelia. He is a co-originator of the Art Fusion Experiment with his wife Titine K-Leu, known for her paintings of iconic tattooed people and sensual female forms. Ama Leu is the eldest daughter of Felix and Loretta Leu, she grew up in the bohemian family environment and went on to become an international fashion model for 20 years. Her clothing lines blend her knowledge and experience of art, tattoo and fashion. She also focuses on the use of eco friendly, organic material. Aia Leu is a fine art painter who works in oil and watercolor. Aia’s work draws directly from her multicultural and bohemian upbringing, which saw her raised ‘on the road’, as her parents followed their dream of a life of ‘art and freedom’. Her work is particularly influenced by both her years spent as a child in India, and the richness of the Irish landscape, she has recently illustrated “The Oracle of Change” which reflects beautifully the diversity of her inspiration. She is married to Steve Allin, Steve studied Interior textiles and furnishing in the 70’s at the London College of Furniture in Commercial road. He is known for his involvement in Hemp construction internationally, developing and teaching in Haiti, Nepal, Costa Rica and other countries. Ajja channels his creativity through parallel careers as musician/producer/dj, and Peak Records label manager. His much appreciated solo live sets, fusing his twisted psy-experience with a love of funky grooves, have made him a fixture in major festivals and parties around the globe.

Photo: Installation view of the exhibition: Leu Art Family,  2021, ©Museum Tinguely; Photo: Daniel Spehr

Info: Curator: Christian Jelk, Museum Tinguely, Paul Sacher-Anlage 2, Basel, Duration: 3/3-31/10/2021, Days & Hours: Ttue-Sun 11:00-18:00, www.tinguely.ch