About

Philippe Pasqua is a French contemporary artist whose practice has long centered on the human body, the face and the skull. Working on a monumental scale, he creates intensely physical paintings through loose, expressive brushstrokes that give his subjects a striking sense of presence.

His portraits often confront vulnerability, difference and the fragility of the human body. Through unconventional viewpoints, close-up compositions and heavily textured surfaces, Pasqua depicts figures outside conventional representations of beauty, including people with physical disabilities and other marginalized individuals.

Alongside painting, Pasqua works extensively with drawing, mixed media and sculpture. The skull is a recurring motif in his sculptural practice, sometimes transformed through metallic surfaces, gold or silver patinas, and butterfly imagery. Across these different media, beauty and discomfort, strength and fragility remain in constant tension.

Pasqua’s work offers a visceral reflection on the body and mortality, confronting viewers with the physical presence of his subjects while questioning conventional ideas of beauty and representation.