Lou Lihou's paintings reflect the vibrant energy of the sea. A professional diver, Lihou brings an impressionistic brushstroke to his largely romantic subjects. His part oil, part acrylic canvases reveal a love of the maritime world, displaying the lifestyle, vigor and hues which invite the viewer into the artist's own experience.
Lihou has lived most of his adult life in the Caribbean, but his early years were spent in the Channel Islands and England; he thus brings a European nuance to his self-taught style. Looking at these paintings is to experience the joy of the Bahamas and the simplicity of an island way of life. Yet the naiveté so often found in island arts is entirely absent, due to a sophisticated eye and skillful use of paints. The result is a collection of work which, as the artist himself suggests, makes you wish you were there. Lihou brings his immense love of the aquatic world to the canvas in a way that maintains the universality of the subject without sacrificing his personal enthusiasm and sentiment.