FRANCE – PARIS
In the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the works of Clément Davout make their debut at the Ketabi Bourdet gallery. Baptised “Sous le ciel, sous le bleu” (under the sky, under the blue), the exhibition unveils new bucolic paintings in which nature expresses itself with gentleness.
Clément Davout became passionate about painting in 2013, while studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Caen. After a brief stint in Latvia, he decided to settle in Brussels to begin his career. “I needed to confront myself with another way of making art,” he says.
It all began with a blurred photograph. Leaves, flowers, branches… The young man takes pleasure in capturing fragments of everyday life as he strolls through the French capital’s vegetation. At first glance, the works resemble cyanotypes in which layers of oil paint – lightly brushed – follow one another with dexterity. In other compositions, the lightness of watercolour is subtly combined with the colourful pigments of coloured pencils.
Studied beforehand on Instagram, the colour gradations in the background are the starting point for the creative process. The artist then transcribes her monochrome photographs inside the minimalist window that makes up each of her paintings. “My idea was to create paintings that would caress us in depth. So, I wanted the landscape to be represented in an abstract way,” he says.
© Clément Davout
Shadows and light join forces to highlight an artistic blur – similar to the work of Gerhard Richter, who greatly inspired the Norman painter in his work. Through this mise en abyme, Clément Davout simply expresses his memories and the beauty of the natural world around him.
Marine Mimouni
Galerie Ketabi Bourdet
22 Passage Dauphine, 75006 Paris
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11a.m. to 1p.m. and 2p.m. to 7p.m.