Philippe Pasqua, a self-taught painter, was born in Grasse, France, in 1965. He began painting at a young age, specializing in figuration and distinguishing himself particularly as a portraitist. His work is characterized by a diversity of media, ranging from drawing on paper to oil painting on canvas, not forgetting sculpture, with a marked preference for large formats.

Pasqua’s art addresses subversive subjects, aiming to highlight the stigmata of our society. He chooses to represent often marginalized figures, such as prostitutes, people with Down syndrome, blind people or transgender individuals. These portraits, charged with a certain plastic violence, generate an aesthetic shock.

By revealing what is usually repressed and celebrating difference, Philippe Pasqua provokes a disturbing emotion. His portraits, often monumental, captivate the eye and express an undeniable force, enriched with jets of color that emphasize the contrast between brutality and delicacy.

His works also bear the influence of his early inspirations, notably voodoo and fetishes, traces of which can be found in the enigmatic silhouettes he paints. Currently, his fascination with vanity paintings, which he collects and integrates into his art, feeds his creativity.

The human being is at the center of his artistic research. His works evoke an almost surgical approach, where the models are analyzed and stripped down, inviting the viewer to explore their intimacy. Pasqua’s paintings confront strong oppositions, mixing vulnerability and gigantism, sacred and obscene, visible and hidden. This tension, very present in his work, recalls the creations of Francis Bacon.

Philippe Pasqua has exhibited his works around the world, notably at the Patrick Painter Gallery in Los Angeles, the Ahlers Foundation in Germany, the 604 Gallery in Korea, and the Malaga Contemporary Art Center in Spain.