Jean Claracq and his ultra-contemporary miniature world

Jean Claracq, Kilim (2020). Oil on wood, ,16x15 cm. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Sultana

Born in 1991 in Bayonne, Jean Claracq is part of the new guard of figurative painting that deciphers the current world and the preponderant place of images that surge on our screens. In miniature and with talent!
What is surprising at first is the size of his works. Screen format, postcard... sketches whose density and quality of detail recall the Flemish primitives and in particular Van Eyck.

As you approach, you realise that the landscapes, the towns, the objects, everything is reduced but perfectly constructed. Moreover, architecture is an essential component of his paintings, a mise en abîme of frames within frames, windows, a building, a billboard or even screens, smartphones in which we can't help but get caught up, awakening in us our guilty voyeuristic inclination. The contrast of cold colours associated with bright colours further accentuates this effect of immersion in the work.

Jean Claracq takes us into the intimacy of the lives of this young generation, whose melancholy characters reveal a great solitude, a withdrawal into themselves. In the end, one can feel desperately alone in the company of thousands of followers.

After having exhibited last year at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the artist is presenting a selection of new works at the Sultana Gallery, Paris, until 10 April. I highly recommend this virtual walk through his paintings: https://galeriesultana.com/artists/jean-claracq

Jean Claracq is also the author of the 2021 poster for the Roland Garros tournament.

NJ