Alexandra Deman: 'From one writing to another, it is the story of continuity'

Originally from La Rochelle and settled in Giens, Alexandra Deman pays tribute to the sea and the abundance of Mediterranean landscapes that move and touch her particularly. She confides that in the Vieux Salins d’Hyères she rediscovered the Île de Ré, which was the playground of her childhood. This strong connection with the Salins is reflected in the screenplay of one of her first films, 'Fleur de sel', a story of redemption in the Salins of the Île de Ré. After this exhibition in Hyères, Alexandra Deman opened the doors of her studio to the Gazette du Var, explaining that she 'envisions her artistic journey as a continuity, whatever the medium, it is always a form of writing'.

JAPANESE INFLUENCE

“I moved from narration through words to pictorial narration, but for me, it is always a form of writing, an artistic expression by other means. It is therefore a break in continuity; this time, I am painting a story with brushes,” confides the artist. Since her childhood, Alexandra has been immersed in the world of painting, notably through her father, the painter Albert Deman. “I am a loner, deeply influenced by my personal encounters with other painters, the first of whom is Albert Deman, my father, an immense painter in my eyes. I had other very strong influences through him, which I adopted as my own. He himself greatly admired Matisse, Monet, or Turner. I added to this Pantheon Joan Mitchell, Peter Doig, David Hockney, Wolf Kahn,” explains the young woman. During the exhibition, visitors traveled by discovering part of the artist’s pictorial universe. She admits that the public “found a Japanese touch to some of my watercolors.” The artist often travels to Japan and appreciates prints for their minimalism. She considers that her “most accomplished canvases are sometimes those where she forgets a form of mastery or know-how.” What she loves about the work on paper presented in Hyères is the immediacy of expression, that of the gesture. She claims, among others, the influence of the French-Chinese painter Zao Wou-Ki or the Japanese Chuta Kimura. On the studio walls or in drawing portfolios, the works are delicately protected. “Les Musicales” is a series of watercolors enhanced with white India ink. Alexandra named them this way because “it is like a musical composition, there is a main melody that carries the composition of the watercolor, and, from time to time, catching notes – fermatas – provided by the white India ink. It is a visual rhythm, the spontaneous expression of the artist’s feelings.”

EXPRESSING HER HUMANITY

Sans cesse, elle réinvente ces paysages ou jardins. Des toiles, aux couleurs douces ou plus flamboyantes, se dégagent une émotion presque palpable. L’artiste révèle qu’elle aime « laisser une forme d’inachevé ». C’est pour elle la traduction de « l’impermanence des choses », toujours en mouvement ou en évolution, mais pas seulement. À un moment, elle prend la décision d’arrêter le tableau et « laisse ainsi un espace d’interprétation qui devient celui de l’autre quand il regarde l’œuvre. J’aime laisser de la place à l’imaginaire des gens, à leur propre vécu et émotions ». L'artiste a été très touchée par la remarque d’une personne qui notait le côté vivant de ses paysages peints. « Quel que soit le sujet, c’est la part d’humanité de l’artiste qui s’exprime. Si quelqu’un me dit qu’indépendamment que mon paysage paraît vivant, cela veut dire que la personne a été touchée par ma sensibilité, cette part d’humanité qui m’échappe et rejoint celle d’autrui ». Tout comme son père, Albert Deman, qui passait de longs moments pensifs et s’isolait avant de peindre, Alexandra a besoin de penser sa toile avant de se poster devant le chevalet. Elle y réfléchit d’abord, la médite et optimise ainsi sa concentration. Parallèlement à son travail, elle cultive son « labo », où elle expérimente de nouvelles techniques ou thématiques. « Je ne pourrais pas m’enfermer dans un style. Selon moi, la peinture est l’expression de l’intériorité de l’artiste et évolue avec lui. Malgré, ou par, ces évolutions, l’écriture personnelle doit finir par s’imposer. C’est ce cheminement, entre permanence et impermanence, qui rend la création artistique passionnante ».

Her upcoming exhibitions:

From October 11 to January 4, 2025, at the CIRCA gallery in Arles, From April 4 to April 18, 2025, at the Cravero gallery in Le Pradet. You can find Alexandra DEMAN on instagram alexandrademan_art