Bernard Signamarcheix

Originally from Creuse, Bernard left for a while to live in Paris and begin his career in advertisement, before returning in 1975, equipped with his degree in Fine Arts. After finally leaving the world of advertisement he could begin to pursue his artistic passion. His art gave him two roles to play, that of a painter and a teacher of visual arts and art history at the Catholic high school in Guéret, until it closed in 2014.

When speaking of his work, Bernard says: ""the human being is at the heart of my work. I like to observe him, to study him and to watch him."" Always devoting a lot of attention to the initial preparation of his support and to the materials he will use, the artist uses acrylic, mixed with pencil, pastels and even Indian ink. Because they emerge out of the darkness, his characters, who often have disproportionate limbs, draw us in to share a moment of conviviality- at a bistro or a concert -, and to enter into their cheerful and colourful universes. The Creuse landscape, which Bernard wanders into when he goes fishing, is also a source of inspiration and he does not hesitate to interpret, on his canvas, the images that linger in his mind.

Eager to make new discoveries, the artist is always searching for new experiments so that he may constantly develop his technique and skills. Therefore, even though he finds inspiration in artists such as Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943), Jérôme Bosch (1450-1516), Edward Hopper (1882-1967) and Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), Bernard often goes to museums and enjoys keeping up to date on the current events of the world of painting.