ABOUT

Born in Hirson, France, in 1969, Sébastien Bayet lives and works between France and Madagascar.

Originally trained as a land surveyor, he pursued this profession from 1987 to 1996 before dedicating himself entirely to painting. In 1998, he was awarded the Young Painting Prize in Germany, marking the beginning of his artistic career. His early works were rooted in Neo-Expressionism before gradually evolving toward a more figurative approach in which the subject took precedence over gesture and material.

Throughout the 2000s, Bayet developed a powerful body of monochrome paintings addressing themes of violence, human suffering, and social constraints. His work later expanded into reinterpretations of masterpieces by artists such as Goya, Velázquez, Leonardo da Vinci, and Frida Kahlo, creating layered compositions that merge painting with collaged textiles and worn fabrics.

Since 2017, following his regular stays in Madagascar, Bayet has incorporated discarded sailcloth from Vezo fishermen into his paintings. Weathered by the sea and time, these materials have become an essential part of his visual language, bringing together memory, history, and materiality. Through these textured surfaces, Bayet transforms humble objects into poetic narratives that reflect the passage of time and the transmission of cultural heritage.

His work has been exhibited extensively in galleries, museums, and contemporary art fairs throughout France and Europe, and is held in numerous private collections.