Arnaud Franc

1966, Villefranche-sur-Saône, France

Based in Paris, Arnaud Franc works in his studio, where his models pose while he draws.

Free-flowing and spontaneous, yet demonstrating perfect mastery of both eye and hand, Arnaud Franc deploys lines, strokes, and colors on his white or colored paper in a movement that is at once suspended in space (due to the complexity of the composition) and a dynamic capture of a moment as if stolen from the model. The model becomes a pretext; this is not a portrait. It is the desire to convey a rhythm, a density, a heaviness, or perhaps a lightness—depending on the moment. The line is choppy, unstable, imbued with emotion; even when perfectly executed, opposites converge, giving the drawn surface a visceral vibration. Distortion and twisting make the body appear twisted; a posture turns the limbs and flesh upside down, destabilizing our gaze and our perception of the body and its representation.

The titles give meaning not only to the image but also to the feeling—a possible guiding thread that leads us into the artist’s imagination, always maintaining a connection to the drawing and tying back to what is seen: A Feeling in the Muscle, An Echo Passes That Resonates Within Me, Intoxicated by You… Concrete poetry of lived experience.

Various techniques intertwine—charcoal, acrylic, spray paint, black chalk, graphite, and more—until the work is complete, the moment when the painter’s brushstroke comes to a halt.

In 2020, since Arnaud Franc was unable to work with his models, he decided to turn his gaze to his natural surroundings and focus his attention on pollarded trees. This gave rise to a new, previously unseen series, full of vibrant colors. Nathalie Béreau

New series: Les Trognes (2020) and Portraits de maisons (2025)
“During a two-month lockdown in the countryside, I embarked on a new path; exploring nature has become a central theme in my art, alongside the portraits I’ve been creating with the models who have been with me for over 30 years.

Standing at the foot of the trees to capture the moods of the earth—from the carpet of humus and the layer of wood to the encroachment of wild grass—I discover these unchanging beings that transcend me.

Trunks, stumps, and pollarded trees—like fossils bearing the marks of time.

Higher up, among branches and twigs, upward shoots fade into a sky tinged with greens.

Rooted in the earth, this wild nature sways and dances as it rises, harmonizing with the vibrations of the air.

For me, this subject is new; the plant body—and the space that surrounds it—fills me with questions. I journey through symbols on the surface of the paper, and my devotion to this nature is revealed.

And I see this other life unfolding from root to treetop.

Thus is renewed the ultimate recognition of a city-dweller.” Arnaud Franc, 2020

For me, this subject is new; the plant body—and the space that surrounds it—fills me with questions. I journey through symbols on the surface of the paper, and my devotion to nature is revealed.

And I see this other life unfolding from root to treetop.

Thus, the ultimate recognition of a city-dweller is renewed.” Arnaud Franc, 2020

In 2025, Arnaud Franc explored another subject: Portraits of Houses, inspired by his observations of new landscapes in the French countryside.

However, he remains committed to portraiture based on models, with whom he has always maintained a genuine collaborative relationship.
In 2026, he created new portraits on recycled materials—specifically zinc salvaged from the roofs of renovated houses. A new approach to drawing.

Arnaud Franc studio ©F.Domenet

Personal exhibitions, selection since 2009

2014
Galerie Claire Corcia, Paris
Galerie Comtesses, Lyon
Galerie Accro terre, Paris

2013
Galerie Claire Corcia, Paris
Galerie Nathalie Béreau c/° Le, 6 Mandel, Paris
Galerie Eric Dumont, Troyes
Galerie Francesco Vangelli De Cresci, Paris
Galerie Nast, Paris

2012
Galerie Nast, Paris
Galerie Reg’art confrontations, Rouen
Galerie Mondapart, Boulogne-Billancourt
Galerie du Châtelet, Chalon-sur-Saône

2011
Espace 2.13PM, La Celle St Cloud
Galerie le salon français, Paris
Source 13 gallery, Paris
Château de Fontbachère, Ardèche
Galerie Nast, Paris

2010
Galerie No smoking, Strasbourg
Galerie Vera Amsellem, Paris
Gal. Reg’art confrontations, Rouen
Centre d’art de l’Ancienne Synagogue, La Ferté / Jouarre
Château de Bertichères, Vexin
Artistes avenir, Reims

2009
Galerie Nathalie Béreau, Chinon
Galerie Eric Dumont, Troyes
Couvent des Billettes, Paris
Espace 2.13PM, La Celle Saint Cloud

Further

Performance

2017 « Du visible à l’invisible » 12 danseurs Cie. Anka et Fabrice Domenet metteuren scène – La gare au théâtre Vitry-sur-seine /Cabaret poétique, Cie. les clandestins Odile Azagury Poitiers
2016  Le théâtre de verre Paris

Art Fairs

2013 > 2015 Lille Art Up
2011 > 2013 Affordable Artfair, Bruxelles
2012 Start, Strasbourg
2010 Salon Chic dessin, Paris
2008 Salon Puls’Art, Le Mans
2007 Salon Art Shopping, Paris
2003, 2004 et 2007 Salon MAC 2000, Paris
1998 Salon du Sud-Est, Lyon
1995 et 1999 La Malmaison, Fondation Bullukian, Lyon

Education

1985-89 E.S.A.G. (Académie Julian), Paris
1984 Ecole d’Arts Appliqués, Lyon
1983 Cours Marc Demikelis et Cours Magenta, Lyon