iconTechnique: Oil
Benoît Havard was born in 1981, in Orléans, and currently lives in Vire, in Lower Normandy.
Benoît Havard was introduced to drawing and painting very early, around the age of 6. It was in 1998 that he enrolled at the Cherbourg School of Fine Arts. After a few lessons, he decided to continue his artistic learning in an autodidact way, preferring, he says: “ his own experience to major theories . » From the age of 19, he worked full time in his studio where he experimented and sought to push his pictorial research ever further. “ A few years later, he taught his art and met his first merchant who brought him a little financial comfort. He was not satisfied with this modest success, preferring to improve himself with other techniques. He encountered watercolors during Moroccan stays which led him to discover the importance of shadows and atmospheres. These life scenes take on a more natural dimension which influences all of his work. » (1)
“The mastery of the composition, orchestrated around vigorous first shots, offers a lot of dynamism to the work of this painter who demonstrates a beautiful maturity of execution. » (2) Indeed, it is with incredible technical mastery of the painting tools with which he works, including the spatula, that Havard enjoys depicting both marine scenes and urban scenes. The gestures are flexible and suggest landscapes created with a palette of rather bright colors and magnificent fades from which a soft atmosphere emerges which invites contemplation.
Benoît Havard has exhibited in several galleries in France since 2004 and is the guest of honor at several exhibitions in France. In addition, his works can be found in numerous public and private collections, such as La Française des jeux, Louis Vuitton, ASSYS CYBORG and the Mauresmo family. His work was also published in 2011, 2012 and 2013 in the magazine Univers des Arts.
(1) Quote taken from the text by Thierry Sznytka, artist's website
(2) Quote taken from the text by Thierry Sznytka, artist's website