Valéry Vécu Quitard, "Tender and Facetious Beastiary"

Valéry Vécu Quitard “Tender and Facetious Beastiary” January 20th - February 18th, 2024 Haven Gallery is honored to present France based artist, Valery Vecu Quitard, for his first solo show, entitled “ Tender and Facetious Beastiary”, at the gallery. “ Tender and Facetious Beastiary" features twelve new oil paintings of anthropomorphic animals regaled in historic costumery engaging in playful narratives. Known for his trompe l'oeil technique, an optical illusionary method, translated to “trick of the eye”, Vecu Quitard amuses the viewer with a painted legerdemain as architectural details such as windows and butterflies break the visual plane and create further dimension. His animal subjects beckon art history and the nostalgia of children’s books, uniting the wistful heart with the academic mind. ARTIST STATEMENT AND BIOGRAPHY Vécu, pseudonym of Valéry Quitard, is a self-taught painter specialised in oil painting. He lives in France and works with several galleries (England, the Netherlands, Portugal, united states of America and the Czech Republic). He has also exhibited his work in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Spain and at the main historic exhibitions in Paris and throughout France. He works in two styles: still life, using the easel trompe l’oeil technique, also known as reality painting and a form of painting with a surrealist tendency inspired by popular culture and iconography. The latter, imbued with a touch of fantasy, symbolism and tenderness thanks to his subtle palette, blends baroque detail with poetry and an outdated, puerile universe with moderate surrealism. Subjects are largely focussed on bygone or antiquated periods; for the most part, his paintings are inhabited by animals dressed in period costumes in childlike poses. From precise workmanship to mellow contours, his painting reassures and charms the viewer with the gentleness and nostalgia that emanates from it. « I endeavour to give shape to the numerous ideas running unexpectedly through my mind. Even though I tackle a dozen paintings at once, I can never catch up with my creativity ! »