Who am I?
Discover my story, my artistic approach and my world through this short video presentation!
My Story
My name is Antonin, I'm 30 and my artist name is Textured.
I've been an engineer by training since 2016 and a contemporary painter since 2020.
I followed the engineering path a little by default but also by influence. I wanted to study graphic design, but for various reasons I didn't follow my instincts at the time.
All this to say that, although I was quite young and grew up in a family with very little interest in art, I nonetheless had an undisguised attraction to beauty, color and texture, but above all to the freedom that graphic design can offer.
In my professional life, I've managed to get closer to this desire for creativity by becoming a Product Designer.
In 2020, I joined an association called "Les Arts Ponctuels", bringing together artists of all disciplines to create and exchange in groups. In the summer of 2020, I began creating graphic creations inspired by pop culture.
In this association I met a painter and, in October 2020, I bought my first canvases and brushes, set to work on my first canvas and it was love at first sight!
Since then, not a day goes by without me painting, exploring new techniques, colors and textures, and working on my style.
Completely self-taught, I try to create abstract works that make an impact in terms of color, texture and depth (I'll tell you more about my artistic approach below!).
My artistic approach
In love with geometry, since I believe it's the essence of everything, but also convinced by the infinite power of colors on our daily lives and moods, I began my adventure as a painter with my first creations in a geometric "hardedge" style.
After a year focused on this style and these highly structured techniques, which suited my rather Cartesian temperament perfectly, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and experiment with a number of techniques and materials in a more intuitive and "messy" way: paint sprays, acrylic bombs, dripping, stencils, acrylic markers, acrylic inks, structural mortar, cracking paste, fluid acrylics, coatings, plasters...
This stage clearly enabled me to learn a lot more about myself and to grow along with my range of techniques.
These experiences have enabled me to develop three main worlds of work:
Urban works: here I explore the bold marriage of the geometric rigor of the "hardedge" style and the intuitive techniques borrowed from street art. By combining the structured order of geometry with unstructured techniques, I try to capture the fusion of harmony and chaos in my work.
Fluid works: here I use fluid acrylic techniques. I focus on the magic of the pure, intuitive and rapid gesture of the brush, evoking a sensation of absolute freedom and purely instinctive emotion. In this universe, painting frees itself of all constraints, coming to life in a moving visual choreography that celebrates the beauty of the unexpected and free expression.
Textured works: passionate about texture and inspired by nature and architecture, I create works in this universe to embrace the natural reliefs and contrasts that animate each composition. Each brushstroke, each superimposition of material, reveals a unique and complex story, where textures mingle to create relief. Working with texture is like sculpting with paint, revealing a tactile visual depth that invites viewers to explore every square centimeter of the work.
Exploring these three distinct artistic worlds gives me invaluable freedom. Each of these creative worlds, with its unique techniques, acts as a different canvas of expression for my emotions and mood of the moment.
It's through these various artistic avenues and without locking myself into a single style or technique that I can and want to truly connect with my passion for creation, offering a varied and emotionally rich artistic experience.
I really like to work on intuition, movement and the search for aesthetics rather than the desire to convey a particular emotion or message. I think you can feel this in my fluid universe.
On the other hand, I'm also regularly asked to work on fairly committed works, often on the theme of ecology and the rather negative impact we have on our planet (examples of these works: Burning Echo, Floor is lava or Find it!). These works reflect both my personal and professional convictions. I try to challenge and question the viewer's way of consuming today, while at the same time offering a bit of pedagogy when I'm able to have a verbal exchange with the viewer.
Finally, another theme I really enjoy working on is hesitation or choice. Indeed, our consumer society offers so many possibilities and choices, whatever the good or service we may covet. All these possibilities can sometimes overwhelm me, and I like to convey these feelings in my work (examples: Happy path, Which path ?, Why not ?...).
Convinced by the power of color, texture and geometry, my aim as an artist is to create original works with a strong visual message, accessible to all.
My workshop
"The ideal space should contain elements of magic, serenity, sorcery and mystery."
When I started painting, my creative studio was none other than the dining table in my living room.
As you can imagine, it wasn't very practical and, above all, very invasive on a daily basis. And... when it came to organizing meals with friends, it was quite restrictive!
Very soon, when the paints started piling up in my living room, and I wanted to try out more unstructured techniques, I had to find a solution in order to have a more spacious area.
So I set up my studio in the garage of my grandparents' house in Rueil-Malmaison on the outskirts of Paris.
This large space allows me to give free rein to my creativity on a daily basis. More space and fewer constraints give rise to incredible creative opportunities!
I'm really happy and aware of how lucky I am to have a studio dedicated to my passion, where I can create original works of art.