Clair-Obscur | Chiaroscuro
Shadow Series

… everything is hidden, dark, veiled; can we expect it to be discovered and unveiled…
Jiddu Krishnamurti

In a constant search for self, the artist digs into memories of childhood, pain, lies and secrets that will never be fully revealed. At times, like a flash, the truth appears. He tries to catch it by a body movement, an intention, a reflection that translates this stealthy moment.

Knowing how to capture this moment is a lifetime’s work. Sometimes, the research is tough, because it is necessary to probe the depths of the unconscious and to be permanently damaged. We never emerge unscathed, even if this research makes it possible to cross the light. This tear is expressed by the carved body, cut and rebuilt. The material is transformed, from an obscure form springs fire. This fugitive moment, captured like an apparition, creates emotion. When the eye is tamed, a wire of steel, a cut – similar to a crack – comes to disturb the established order. The changing silhouettes may seem deceptive, but the artist offers us his truth, a collective unconscious that lives in us all. There’s no going back, because our mind is already on the other side of the mirror. We are now captured by this coded message that is finally given to us. Will we come back? Probably, because we prefer to return to the comfort of our reality. Let the artist himself guide us to the depths of his soul and help him find his way back to the light.

Stéphane Le Duc