After having played with the theory of evolution in his past exhibition (« Darwin Theorem », in 2017), the talented French artist from Toulouse – a painter, a muralist and a tattooer- have this time concentrated on the theme of the melancholy of the sea in his latest pop-surrealist show. Once again, you could see it until July 27th, at the art center Spacejunk based rue des Capucins in Lyon. Titled “Les deux pieds dans la mer”, the show refers to a painful period of his existence which paralleled the creation of the paintings. The sea, theatre of the great solitude, seems to be the perfect scene where to express his emotions and feel reassured with his favorite subjects : animals. Fishes, birds, etc, but also a skull and a heart find naturally their place, in maritime and nocturnal compositions, between heavy skies and deep waters. The representation of the liquid element is an opportunity for the artist to give a good idea of his technical mastery. He’s able to play with the sources of light and effects of transparency.
It is particularly flagrant in the master piece of the show. Titled “Les deux pieds dans l’amer”, it is the biggest format ever done by Veks (213x148cm). We can see a giant a sperm whale head character, with a small cloth revealing a fully tattooed body, both feet in water, in front of an empty bark. Referring to pop culture and especially to the manga books full of kaiju, the halo is referring to the religious art of the Flemish primitives of the 15th century (van Eyck, among others), also masters of realism and representations of transparency. The stroke of Veks, light and precise, can be appreciated on the few sketches and studies framed. On the ground floor, they are exhibited among a series of antique books, found by the artist, on which he painted interrogating eyes – “eye-books”. On the first floor, a spheric skull, a tall tattooed legs fish passing over a village, a heart covered with mushrooms from the forest, among others, are drawn on pages deliberately yellowed with tea or coffee. We can also enjoy the quality of the prints made by editor Noire Méduse, with who Veks van Hillik collaborates, and thanks to who people who can’t afford an original piece can still bring back home a piece of Vek’s talent. After Bayonne in France and Lyon, the exhibition will be shown in Grenoble next September, still in the Spacejunk network. https://www.spacejunk.tv
