Interview
Alexandra Rouard
Alexandra Rouard’s preferred subject is portraiture, whatever the subject it represents. She enjoys the simple representation of a face. Through the simplicity of her staging, her works lend themselves to different interpretations by different people, and give free rein to the imagination of everyone who views them.
Having dedicated herself fully to her art since 2007, Alexandra Rouard has participated in numerous private and public exhibitions, mainly in France, but also abroad. She has exhibited at Art in the Capital at the Grand Palais (France) on several occasions, as well as in the United States.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was passionate about drawing from an early age. As an only child, I spent a large part of my early youth in Scotland with my grandmother, who took advantage of her retirement to learn about oil painting. Sharing these moments of creativity with her gave birth to my own great fascination for this medium, which I immediately idealized and respected. As my parents were often absent, drawing quickly became a real means of escape for me, rather than just a simple way to pass the time.
I don’t come from an artistic family, but being an only child, I drew all the time. I knew from when I was very young that I wanted to be an artist; a painter more precisely. I studied art at university, but really started my career as an artist a few years later.”
What inspires you most?
“I’m greatly inspired by nature in all its forms: plants, birds, and animals. I'm also inspired by people. I love painting portraits and have been commissioned several times in the past. But lately, my work has veered more towards narrative compositions.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My main theme would be solitude, either when I’m alone, face-to-face with nature, or when I’m inspired by a person. I want to capture their solitude. A person can say so much without using words, just by the expression on their face.”
“I use a palette of restrained colors. It’s able to sacralize the face so it holds the full attention of the person viewing it.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is often a single subject, either a plant, bird, animal, or person. I paint faces without any make-up or artifice, often with a simple background and decoration, and sometimes even with none of these. But as I said earlier, this is starting to change in my creative process. I’ve begun painting more and more backgrounds so as to tell a story.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’m mainly influenced by British artists. I’m a big fan of Laura Knight’s work, and love her painting Spring, which is one of my favorites. I also like the Pre-Raphaelites like John Everett Millais, and especially love two of his paintings, Ophelia and Blind Girl. I like the very saturated colors these artists have used.”
What is your creative process like?
“First I choose a subject, then take many pictures of it. Then the creative process begins. I choose a photo and think of a composition for a couple of days, imagining the finished painting or drawing in my mind. I then start painting and once finished, it usually doesn’t look like the work I had imagined in the first place! But that’s the magic of creation; it leads you on a different path each time.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“An artist’s role in society is to make you think. An artist can represent political issues or places, people, whatever. The viewer will either look at something differently through the artist’s eye, or just contemplate a subject in a manner they would never have thought of.
I don’t see the artist’s role evolving that much in the years to come. Art has become more conceptual and less aesthetic, but it still makes you think, as it has always done since the Stone Age.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have been presented with various awards for my work, as shown below:
2019 - Private award, Cot-Bergès Grand Palais, Paris.
2018 - Painting prize winner, Société des Artistes Français, Grand Palais, Paris.
- Private award, Fernand Bivel, Grand Palais, Paris.
2013 - People’s choice award, Galerie Metanoïa, Paris.
2011 - Painting prize winner, Suresnes.I have exhibited my works since 2009. My more recent exhibitions are listed below:
2019 - Art en Capital, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
2018 - Art en Capital, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
2017 - Art en Capital, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
2016 - Salon d’Automne, Champs Élysées, Paris, France.
- Alexandra Rouard, Galerie Collet, Paris, France.
2015 - Art en Capital, Grand Palais, Paris.
- Invisible Cities, Luna Art Collective, Fresno California, USA.
- Salon International du Portrait, Chateau de Beauregard.
- Salon du Cercle Culturel de Margency.
- Salon du Val de Cher, Saint Victor.”
