Antoine Renault

Antoine Renault’s painting suspends time, catches the instant, the souvenir. Not in a nostalgic way, but to dip or dive in. Antoine Renault went to painting from photography he improved in the 80’s in New York, Keith Haring SoHo and Edward Hopper Long Island.

Back to France, husband and father of 3, he catches a brush for the first time from his grand mother who discovered the fun of painting at the age of 70. She is the one who initiated him, allowing him to enter this very intimate bubble. Her work was a testimonial of her little pleasures, pictures of her world, while he tried to catch the dune, sunsets and the warm blues of a summer at his dear island of Noirmoutier.

It’s in Barcelona, close to Sorolla’s shores for some years, that a passion for light and water develops. Reflections and transparencies become his favorite themes. « Light is my real motivation. Water is my favorite catalyst. Both are the guiding threads of my inspiration ». From then, his work becomes flow, movement, ripple… Antoine Renault focusses on slow motion atmosphere, time still on the beach, with a soft sensuality floating. His work constantly plays with the borders of realism. Yet, get closer to the canvas and visible brushstrokes push the reality back, offering space for emotions and echo. Born in Nantes in 1963, Antoine Renault is a self-taught painter. His series « Ocean Paintings » brings him international recognition in 2012.

“It all started with my Grand Ma and a summer with no wind”