1922, Paris, France–2008, Dereham, England

Immigrated to the UK in 1968

Chopin fled Paris in 1940 after the German invasion but was deported to forced labour camps and prisons in Central Europe. He returned to France in 1945 and settled in England in the 1960s. In this work, a stylised human figure is assembled from the onomatopoeic expressions flic, flac, and floc, evoking the sound of splashing through puddles while also hinting at a more ominous history. The colour arrangement suggests the French and Czechoslovak flags, immediately bringing to mind Chopin’s wartime detention in labour camps in Olomouc and the forced westward marches of prisoners of war through cold, wet winters.

William Allen Collection