Jean-Noël Riou (born 1958), L'île sous le vent

Oil / wood, 70 x 60 cm, framed: 80 x 70 cm

Attached is a Certificate of the Artist and Yasnikovsky Art Gallery.
For the winner of the auction, additionally an Art Calendar for 2025 (A2 format) with Jaroslaw Jaśnikowski's paintings "Spaces of Surrealism" and a special edition of the 57-page French Magazine "Art Mag" dedicated to the 2023 exhibition "In the World of Magical Realism" at the Copper Museum in Legnica, in Polish language version.

About the painting:
Oil painting presented in 3 exhibitions in Poland:
- Copper Museum in Legnica
- Wiskott Palace in Wroclaw
- Municipal House of Culture in Luban


Subjective description of the painting:
Flying island is an emerging motif among leading Polish Surrealists (e.g., in Jaśnikowski or Szynkarczuk). Jean-No ë l Riou places his islands, buildings, elements of nature in the air, but they are often fixed to the surface by something. He does not allow them to fly freely. Perhaps this symbolizes the fact that in France the Surrealists are sidelined, are restricted, are not supported by the government like modern art. But artists defend themselves with their works, their craft, and Riou is one of the best French Surrealists. This painting was the theme of the exhibition at the Legnica Copper Museum, "In the World of Magical Realism - Artists of Art'PAIRinternational", which took place from May to September 2023, and in October 2024 was awarded 3rd place among all exhibitions in Lower Silesia just for 2023. A continuation of this exhibition could be seen in Luban in October and November 2024.

About the Artist:
As a self-taught artist, he began painting very young, inspired by the great masters such as Renoir, Monet and other Impressionists. During an exhibition in Beaubourg, he discovered the work of Salvador Dalí with fascination. From then on it was a revelation: "the magic of a masterful canvas seen through the eyes of a child." Overwhelmed, he once again grabbed his brushes and did not stop painting.

When creating his works, the artist set himself the goal of making people dream, and his willingness to share his imaginary vision is a means to that end, even a necessity. So he takes us on a journey through unusual landscapes, often littered with books. He also likes to visit "still life" in his own way, turning pebbles into mushrooms or other fantasies.

Jean-Noël Riou admits that he has been inspired by all the possibilities offered by oil painting, through the many layers of lasering and the effects he creates with all sorts of objects and instruments that fall into his hands to satisfy his insatiable taste for beautiful painting, which he says is between imagination and optical illusion. Picture-eater that you are, you will be able to come and satiate yourself, for he does not forget that artists live through the eyes of those who enjoy entering their world and without whom they have nothing to exist....