By Ingrid Luquet-Gad

‘I’ve always had a strong relationship with drawing and painting. I come from a large family and, when I was drawing, I could be alone and retreat into my own bubble. Over the years, this activity became a practice that defined me.

‘After high school, I studied at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg, where I began painting in a fairly classical way, producing observational work and transcribing reality. I turned quite naturally to oil painting: I was drawn to its smoothness, the depth of color, and the flexibility of drying time that allows you to stretch time.

‘The first art movement that made a lasting impression on me was Surrealism, notably the work of Giorgio de Chirico, and then the American abstract artists, such as Mark Rothko, James Turrell, and Dan Flavin. Much later, I also began to connect my work with the Impressionist school, through its proponents’ vision of light representation and subjectivity linked to perception.

‘My taste for abstraction came early, but I took my time integrating it into my practice. At first I was representing figures with large, graduated, and very colorful backgrounds. Gradually, I realized that I took more pleasure in working on the texture and that it made me feel closer to pictorial matter. Little by little, the subject became more anecdotal before disappearing entirely.

‘In my paintings, everything is done with brush on canvas. I love the vibration of the tool, the irregularities, the resistance of the surface, and all the sensuality that gestural process involves. I work in layers, with quick drying time, interspersed with periods of reflection. I want people to become intoxicated with my paintings, and for me this happens through erasing the artist’s gesture to let color fully express itself.

‘My sources of inspiration are very varied. They come from exhibitions, films, landscapes, but also scientific journals and optics books. I absorb their emotional impact by reworking them before translating them through painterly means. I also remain very curious about other fields of creation. Following a recent visit to the Cité internationale de la tapisserie museum in Aubusson [central France], I became very inspired by tapestry craftsmanship.

‘My studio is located in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. It overlooks a quiet, tree-lined courtyard, which helps my concentration. When I arrive there in the morning, I make some tea, listen to the news, and then spend time examining my paintings from the previous day. Then I start mixing colors and I apply them to the canvas. This process is both meditative and very physical, as the gesture must be quite sustained. As accompaniment to my work, I often put on piano music.

‘My installation for the NetJets Lounge at Art Basel Paris 2025, in collaboration with my art agency Studio Artera, is titled ‘Echoes of Light’. It explores chromatic iridescence linked to light phenomena. As one hue passes gently into another, time stretches and a slower rhythm settles in. It is an invitation to pause while in the heart of the bustling environment of the fair, and my wish is to offer a prolonged moment of contemplation for the visitor.’