Discover the contemporary work of Textured

My name is Antonin, I am 30 years old, and my artist name is Textured. I have been trained as an engineer since 2016 and have been a contemporary painter since 2020.

I followed the path of engineering somewhat by default, but also under the influence of external factors. In fact, I initially wanted to pursue graphic design studies, but for various reasons, I didn't follow my instincts at that time.

All this to say that, despite being quite young and growing up in a family environment with little orientation towards art, I still had an unmistakable attraction to beauty, color, textures, and especially the freedom that graphic creation can offer.

Professionally, I managed to get closer to this creative urge by becoming a Product Designer. In 2020, I joined an association called "Les Arts Ponctuels," bringing together artists from various disciplines to create and exchange ideas in groups. In the summer of 2020, I started creating graphic works inspired by pop culture. In this association, I met a painter, and in October 2020, I bought my first canvases and brushes, launching into my first painting, and it was clearly love at first sight!

Since then, not a day goes by without me painting, exploring new techniques, colors, or textures, and working on refining my style. Completely self-taught, I strive to create impactful abstract works, both through their colors and textures, and their depth (I'll tell you more about my artistic approach below!).

Being a lover of geometry, as it is the essence of everything in my opinion, and convinced of the infinite power of colors on our daily lives and moods, I began my painting adventure with initial creations in a geometric "hardedge" style.

After a year focused on this style and its highly structured techniques, which suited my somewhat Cartesian temperament perfectly, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone by experimenting with many techniques and materials in a more intuitive and "disorderly" manner: paint splatters, acrylic sprays, dripping, stencils, acrylic markers, acrylic inks, structure mortar, crackle paste, fluid acrylic, coatings, plasters, and more. This stage clearly allowed me to learn much more about myself and grow alongside my palette of techniques.

These experiences have led me to develop three main realms of artworks:

1. Urban works: I explore the bold marriage of geometric rigor in the "hardedge" style and intuitive techniques borrowed from street art. By combining structured geometric order with deconstructed techniques, I try to capture in my works the fusion of harmony and chaos.

2. Fluid works: Here, I use techniques with fluid acrylic. I focus on the magic of pure, intuitive, and quick brushstrokes, evoking a sense of absolute freedom and purely instinctive emotion. In this realm, paint is liberated from all constraints, coming to life in a moving visual choreography that celebrates the beauty of the unexpected and free expression.

3. Textured works: Passionate about texture and inspired by nature and architecture, I create works in this realm to embrace the reliefs and natural contrasts that animate each composition. Each brushstroke, each layer of material, reveals a unique and complex story where textures blend 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 artwork.

In these three realms, I enjoy working with vibrant color palettes often contrasting with pure black!

Exploring these three distinct artistic realms gives me invaluable freedom. Each of these creative worlds, with its unique techniques, acts as a different canvas for expressing my emotions and current mood. Through these various artistic avenues and without confining myself to a single style or technique, I can truly connect with my passion for creation, offering a diverse and emotionally rich artistic experience.

I particularly enjoy working on intuition, movement, and the pursuit of aesthetics rather than aiming to convey a specific emotion or message. I believe this intention is strongly felt in my fluid universe.

However, I also frequently create works with a strong commitment, often focusing on the theme of ecology and the rather negative impact we have on our planet (examples works: Burning Echo, Floor is lava, or Find it!). These works reflect my personal and professional convictions. Here, I aim to challenge the observer and prompt them to question their consumption habits today, while also providing a bit of education when I can verbally engage with them.

Finally, another theme I love working on is the theme of hesitation or choice. Indeed, our consumer society offers a plethora of possibilities and choices for any goods or services we may desire. All these possibilities can sometimes overwhelm me, and I like to convey these feelings in my works (examples of works: Happy path, Which path?, Why not?...)

Convinced by the power of color, texture, and geometry, my goal as an artist is to create original works with a strong visual message, accessible to all.