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Antifer
View of the solo exhibition ANTIFER, at Le SHED art center of Normandy, Rouen (France).
Photogtaph © Marc Domage
Jonathan Loppin, director of Le SHED, welcomes artist Sosthène Baran (Esam Caen/Cherbourg) to L’Académie for this first solo exhibition. A true opportunity, as the artist emphasizes, in this post-lockdown period. The title refers to a foundational work inspired by a strange house perched on the cliffs of Cap d’Antifer in Seine-Maritime, observed at dusk. His paintings involve a variety of materials, which he collects according to his eclectic background. The artist has also benefited from two auction sales—an experience he describes as very positive. He answered my questions.
How did you respond to this exhibition invitation from Jonathan Loppin?
I met Jonathan Loppin in October 2021 during professional meetings organized by RN13bis for recent graduates of Normandy art schools. He immediately liked my work and offered me a solo exhibition at L’Académie. It’s my first solo show, so I was both happy and surprised by this invitation and his trust. He saw in my work a sense of quality, seriousness, and uniqueness, and that touched me deeply.Why did you choose this title?
We were looking for a title, and it quickly imposed itself. The name is enigmatic and strange. ANTIFER is the title of the oldest painting in the exhibition. It dates from 2016. It takes its name from Cap d’Antifer in Seine-Maritime, between Le Havre and Étretat. It’s a peculiar place where I took a series of photos at dusk in 2015. The house stands by the water, where night fishermen, wearing headlamps, would emerge from the cliffs after fishing to gather and compare their catches. Visually, the painting is unlike the others; it stands out because of its photographic quality, and it allowed us not to reveal everything when the public saw the poster.How do you define your artistic practice?
I define myself as a painter—that’s my daily practice—but I sometimes find solutions through sculpture and assemblage. Looking at this exhibition, ANTIFER, and at all my images, I realize I’ve embarked on a pictorial exploration that proposes another reality by using the unreal as its fuel. I’m searching for an alternative to spirituality, to humanity, to worlds, to our relationship with images, and ultimately to painting itself. Perhaps this comes from my ten years working as a decorative painter, where you learn to make truth out of illusion.What did you want to express in this first monographic exhibition?
This is my first solo exhibition—it reflects two years of production, mostly since leaving art school. I didn’t have a final show for my diploma because of COVID in 2020. I approached this exhibition as a sort of revenge, and it did me a world of good to see all my paintings leave the studio and come together—to realize that everything connects, and that a story begins to unfold from one painting to the next.One highlight was the auction—how and why did it come about?
The auction was Jonathan Loppin’s idea, as a way to support my career. The question of selling was new to me, but it also felt essential. It was organized jointly by Jonathan Loppin and the SEQUANA auction house based in Rouen, whom I’d like to thank. All the works in the exhibition were available for sale online at the same time as the show itself. It lasted about ten days, and it went really well! Another sale is planned during the final days of the exhibition. These were my first sales, and they strengthened my belief that it’s possible to make a living from painting. I’m happy that the images I create can belong to others and have a life beyond my studio.Interview for Fomo-vox podcast.