Following his exhibition at UNESCO, which focused on exodus and oppression, artist Franta goes on with this theme, central to his art, within the walls of the Czech Centre in Paris. In the heart of the 6th arrondissement, Franta uses painting, sculpture and engraving to reflect on exile, the subject of his new exhibition. First faced with the voluntary departure of his father to fight against Hitler's armies, then with the forced departure of his mother by the Gestapo at the end of the war, he was forced to leave several times during his life as a result of the hardening of totalitarian regimes in Eastern Europe. His exhibition aims to inscribe in the medium the ambivalence between "Shadow and Light", according to the words of curator Evelyne Artaud. Franta's work highlights all the darker aspects of humanity, such as the violence, torture and sadness that live in each individual. This so-called darkness contrasts with the light expressed by the freedom Franta uses in his art. This exhibition is another opportunity for the artist to communicate the ambivalence of this world, using the canvas in particular, because - as he said - "there are things that can only be said through painting".

Orlane Bachelet

exhibition's website