BEN ARPEA

The artist’s work is rooted in art history; from classical still life painting to minimalism. The artist prioritises the essential by utilising simplified geometric forms and vibrant colours. Ben mixes materials and always seeks an almost sculptural dimension. The liveliness of the flat colours and stylised forms remind us of the works of Matisse. The representation of ‘man-made’ geometric patterns evokes a Constructivist aesthetic. As for his sculptures, they seem like paintings taken out from their canvases.

This first exhibition is an experiment around the theme of time. Two temporalities are opposed: cosmic time, evoked by the eternal cycle of the sun, always present in his paintings, and human time, marked by everyday gestures. His works also emphasise the persistence of objects that accompany us throughout our existence, crossing the years, like silent sentinels of our past.

Ben Arpéa’s paintings invite us to rediscover these everyday objects, which, despite their banal appearance, have an emotional resonance within us. Pots, vases, and tables, are all recurring motifs in the artist’s paintings, which bring us back to the still lives of the great painters who came before him. The human figure is absent, but the forms provide us clues of its presence.

The artist also presents sculptures that reproduce his paintings’ elements and deploy them into space. In this way, he achieves a new level of abstraction while continuing his experimentation with materials.

In an often chaotic and oppressive world, his paintings offer a sense of clarity and simplicity. In a world where we are bombarded with stimuli from all sides - from social networks to advertising to the constant flow of media - it is easy to feel overwhelmed and disconnected. Ben Arpéa’s works have a timeless quality that transcends eras and trends, offering a break from the tumult of modern life.