“Art is what fuels my daily life. It gives me energy, inspiration and meaning.”
A constant play with various techniques and materials, expressive use of colour and an intent to break the rules define artist Steve Franjou’s abstract and expressionist work.
“I aim to have the viewer let go of reality for a short moment; opening up the senses to new impressions, treading onto unknown ground and stimulating different feelings and thoughts.”
Franjou works with a great measure of intuition, spontaneity and improvisation to give room for the great freedom of action he strives for in his creative work. That is also the reason why he deliberately chooses to never limit himself to a single technique or material – paper, cardboard, wood, ink, acrylic paint, gold leaf and enamel paint are all accommodated in Franjou’s artistry. By constantly interrupting the creative process, and embracing that which at first glance could be perceived as a mistake, Franjou manages to avoid repetitive imaging – thus continuously evolving his artistry.
Franjou, who was born in the region of Sens in northern Bourgogne, was introduced to art at an early age. But it wasn’t until 1984, while viewing the Francis Bacon exhibit at Galerie Maeght Lelong in Paris, that he fully discovered art’s ability to affect the individual on a deeper level. A stint as a technician at a Paris theatre led him to pursue studies in scenography at SCAENICA.
Steve Franjou works from Malmö, where he has resided since 2017 with his partner Karin, a musician and composer.