Claire Deniau

Multidisciplinary Artist

Lives and works in Paris, French, MA & BA Fine Art Central St Martins, London.
Collections: Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), FRAC Paca (France).

Painting is the heart of Claire Deniau’s practice.

The artist relies on her French roots. The influence of historical French painting – Watteau, Fragonard, Morisot, Bonnard, Vuillard – has her engaged in a sensual, intuitive and passionate interaction with process and the material physicality.

As the artist’s body is fully involved in the process, she believes that it becomes part of the work; and therefore the underlying subject itself. A body which can can be anybody’s. This makes a subtle means of physical and emotional connection for the viewer. Body to body. Face to face.

In her latest work, ‘All I know is that I know nothing’ Deniau begins writing on the canvas with oil pastels. This writing, between image and language, reveals forms. She then paints the forms to give them presence. Claire Deniau layers writing and painting until the painting reaches a balance between strength and fragility.

From one work to the next, she allows the gesture to reveal an unconscious exploration of form, colour, transparency, touch, and depth.

Through such a process she has experienced what Deleuze defines as « germinal chaos », which is basically a space and time in which to get lost before finding a way to give a painting its presence.

Claire Deniau persistently researches the various aspects of painting whether through the medium itself or photography, printmaking, installation, sculpture, drawing, video, and artist books.