Nathalie Esnée, a French visual artist born in 1964, embodies an abstract contemporary expression that transcends the limits of emotion on the canvas. In her work, she dedicates generous space to depth of field, inviting the viewer to an immersive experience where imagination takes flight.

Self-taught, Esnée immersed herself early in the artistic world through pastels during her adolescence. Her atypical career path led her to creativity within the hotel industry before being encouraged by those around her to join the Beaux-Arts of Paris. Passionate about the lessons received, she explores the border between representation and figuration, conceptualizing the model not as a subject, but as an object of the gaze. This approach, based on the reception of the visible without the desire for control, is part of modernity, following the innovative spirit of the first action which gave birth to the work.

The outline, preferred to the sketch, becomes the driving force behind his bold approach, marked by the obligation to adjust his practice in the face of the surprises inherent in creation. Esnée engages with society, exposing her work to the outside world, and refuses isolation, favoring observation and listening as sources of inspiration. For her, painting is a thought made visible, as Nicolas Poussin emphasized.

Paper, a central element in his paintings, plays a significant role. Absorbing ink and paint, it becomes a creative partner, pushing the boundaries of imagination. The associations, deformations, and transformations of elements contribute to the creation of a universe that transcends reality, challenging the viewer's perception. Far from the ornamental, its forms crystallize a particular poetry.

Color and light emerge as the essential actors of his work, conveying a captivating immateriality through subtle touches, cast shadows and assertive features. Esnée's distinctive touch balances the forces present, establishing a dynamic harmony where verticality and horizontality coexist as masculine and feminine principles.

In a world saturated with screens and images for communication purposes, Esnée maintains her confidence in her intuition and her gaze, expressing her feelings without pre-established concepts. For her, inventing and inventing oneself means transgressing, taking a step aside to listen to the desire to live, opening avenues of repair, freeing oneself from constraints, rediscovering the sources of creation and understanding the world. At the same time, she digs in place, giving voice to her inner polyphonies in a constant quest for creative freedom.

Haily Grenet