Yoann Merienne French, b. 1987

Born in the heart of the Alps in 1987, Yoann Mérienne developed an intimate connection with the visual arts at a very early age. Introduced to drawing and comic strips during his childhood, he quickly turned his attention to painting, attending evening classes alongside his mother and grandfather. This precocious talent was recognized at the age of 13 when he won the gold medal at the Wallonia International Art Competition with a striking portrait. After earning a degree in Industrial Design in 2009 and broadening his perspective during a year of immersion in Australia, he chose to dedicate himself fully to his artistic vocation. A self-taught artist with impressive technical mastery, he chose Lyon as his base to set up his studio and develop his body of work. His painting and sculpture, which quickly caught the attention of institutional circles, earned him the prestigious Madeleine Couderc Prize in 2020, awarded by the Taylor Foundation in Paris.

Yoann Mérienne’s universe deeply explores the human condition, capturing the dualities of existence: strength and vulnerability, inner struggle and serenity, speed and silence.

A sculptural painting in chiaroscuro: Favoring a deliberately reduced color palette—oscillating between black, white, and infinite shades of gray—the artist literally sculpts the canvas. Using tools he often makes himself, he applies oil paint with a vehement, nervous, and almost tactile touch. The dramatic treatment of light and shadow gives rise to heroic figures, timeless messengers, or striking reinterpretations of 19th-century academic and expressionist masters.
Tridimensionality and the work of volume: For Yoann Mérienne, the boundary between disciplines is porous. Before putting brush to canvas, he regularly creates physical molds of his subjects. This quest for volume naturally flourishes in his practice as a sculptor, where he shapes bronze and aluminum to give form to massive busts, dynamic silhouettes, or anatomical pieces (such as his bronze series Éole, Cœur de Géant, or his animal pieces).

Recognized by institutions, galleries, and international collectors for his impactful large-scale works, his art is regularly exhibited in Europe and internationally (Miami, Shanghai).