Portraits
Who is Emmanuelle Levesque ?
- 19/05/2022
In this new collection, Emmanuelle Levesque wishes to express a message of open-mindedness and very peaceful emotions. In these paintings, the artist brings a new, more serene breath, like the one that comes during a walk in the forest or on the beach, with your feet in the waves.
Discover this selection that allows a journey back to basics and offers to contemporary art lovers simple artworks that, at home, make you feel good.
Discover this selection that allows a journey back to basics and offers to contemporary art lovers simple artworks that, at home, make you feel good.
1. Can you introduce yourself in a few words? What is your background?
My name is Emmanuelle Levesque, I was born in Brittany, and I have been painting since I was a teenager. I went to a fine arts school in Angers after obtaining an artistic high school degree. Following which, I exhibited in a few galleries before coming across Carré d'artistes, which changed my life, in 2011.
2. How did your vocation as an artist emerge?
At an early stage, during my exhibitions, I was marked by the paintings of Van Gogh and Monet, the colors and the intense touches of the first, the richness of the palette and the delicacy of the second. I myself felt a great need for colors!
3. How does a painting session take place? What is the process of creating one of your artworks?
Before creating an artwork, firstly I think about the color palette, and it is this palette that leads me to the subject. But the desire to paint is rather sensual. I need my body to express itself like in dance. I begin by putting on music, then I turn around my painting and I try to go with the flow and let my body and my subconscious act.
4. What are your artistic inspirations, influences and references?
I like a lot of currents in painting, not always close to what I do. I like to be surprised, carried away by a suggestion. All the impressionists of course, the fauvists, the expressionists, Bonnard, Vuillard, but also the American abstracts like Rothko, and today Baselitz, Richter, Hockney...but the list is rather long. I also love the opposite, Morandi, Balthus for their muted, faded range of colors. Not to mention, the Japanese, who are wonderful designers, which is obvious today in manga and animated movies.
5. What is your relationship with the themes that emerge in your paintings?
3 themes seem to recurrently emerge in my painting, cities of course. My firm favorite being reflections and then again trees and the sea, the infinite scope of the sea....
My name is Emmanuelle Levesque, I was born in Brittany, and I have been painting since I was a teenager. I went to a fine arts school in Angers after obtaining an artistic high school degree. Following which, I exhibited in a few galleries before coming across Carré d'artistes, which changed my life, in 2011.
2. How did your vocation as an artist emerge?
At an early stage, during my exhibitions, I was marked by the paintings of Van Gogh and Monet, the colors and the intense touches of the first, the richness of the palette and the delicacy of the second. I myself felt a great need for colors!
3. How does a painting session take place? What is the process of creating one of your artworks?
Before creating an artwork, firstly I think about the color palette, and it is this palette that leads me to the subject. But the desire to paint is rather sensual. I need my body to express itself like in dance. I begin by putting on music, then I turn around my painting and I try to go with the flow and let my body and my subconscious act.
4. What are your artistic inspirations, influences and references?
I like a lot of currents in painting, not always close to what I do. I like to be surprised, carried away by a suggestion. All the impressionists of course, the fauvists, the expressionists, Bonnard, Vuillard, but also the American abstracts like Rothko, and today Baselitz, Richter, Hockney...but the list is rather long. I also love the opposite, Morandi, Balthus for their muted, faded range of colors. Not to mention, the Japanese, who are wonderful designers, which is obvious today in manga and animated movies.
5. What is your relationship with the themes that emerge in your paintings?
3 themes seem to recurrently emerge in my painting, cities of course. My firm favorite being reflections and then again trees and the sea, the infinite scope of the sea....
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6. What do the colors you use, signify?
I try to have a free relationship with colors. If I want to put purple or even green for a sky, well I do so.
7. What was the best piece of advice given to you as an artist?
The advice I followed the most is the one of a visual art teacher in high school who told me to be careful with black.
Since then, I don’t combine black with many colors and when it is necessary to give depth, well I handle it with care. You could say that I'm a little afraid of the color black.
Except in black and white paintings, where it really takes on meaning, in terms of graphic value, like a pencil with drawing.
8. Can you tell us something about yourself that people might be surprised to hear?
What is perhaps surprising in my life as an artist is that I have several studios. I can't settle anywhere. I love discovering and investing in new places. It's very inspiring. I'm sort of a nomadic artist.
9. Tell us about your capsule collection? What were your inspirations? What does this passage to the figurative mean to you?
The capsule collection follows the years of COVID and the different periods of lockdown, during which I returned to pure drawing and revitalizing through nature. I wanted to pass on this experience through my artworks. Highlight trees as they have always fascinated me and the sea near which I grew up.
10. What message or emotions do you wish to convey through this new artwork?
It's a message which leans on openness and very soothing emotions that I wish to convey. A new, more serene respiration, like the one that comes during a walk in the forest or on the beach, with our feet in the waves.
11. An anecdote you would like to share.
A couple recently bought one of my paintings as it was their magical firm favorite. They hadn't put anything on the wall for 5 years because they couldn't reach an agreement, as they have rather different pictorial tastes.
A few weeks ago, when they stopped in front of one of my paintings in Paris, they looked at each other and said nothing. They entered the gallery and bought the painting. It was like an obvious encounter! It took them 5 years to find this painting! They wanted to meet me and shared their feelings with me! They came from Austria. The artwork was called “respiration”!
I try to have a free relationship with colors. If I want to put purple or even green for a sky, well I do so.
7. What was the best piece of advice given to you as an artist?
The advice I followed the most is the one of a visual art teacher in high school who told me to be careful with black.
Since then, I don’t combine black with many colors and when it is necessary to give depth, well I handle it with care. You could say that I'm a little afraid of the color black.
Except in black and white paintings, where it really takes on meaning, in terms of graphic value, like a pencil with drawing.
8. Can you tell us something about yourself that people might be surprised to hear?
What is perhaps surprising in my life as an artist is that I have several studios. I can't settle anywhere. I love discovering and investing in new places. It's very inspiring. I'm sort of a nomadic artist.
9. Tell us about your capsule collection? What were your inspirations? What does this passage to the figurative mean to you?
The capsule collection follows the years of COVID and the different periods of lockdown, during which I returned to pure drawing and revitalizing through nature. I wanted to pass on this experience through my artworks. Highlight trees as they have always fascinated me and the sea near which I grew up.
10. What message or emotions do you wish to convey through this new artwork?
It's a message which leans on openness and very soothing emotions that I wish to convey. A new, more serene respiration, like the one that comes during a walk in the forest or on the beach, with our feet in the waves.
11. An anecdote you would like to share.
A couple recently bought one of my paintings as it was their magical firm favorite. They hadn't put anything on the wall for 5 years because they couldn't reach an agreement, as they have rather different pictorial tastes.
A few weeks ago, when they stopped in front of one of my paintings in Paris, they looked at each other and said nothing. They entered the gallery and bought the painting. It was like an obvious encounter! It took them 5 years to find this painting! They wanted to meet me and shared their feelings with me! They came from Austria. The artwork was called “respiration”!
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