artist/ Letestu

France

Yann Letestu grew up in Cassis and for the last twenty years or so has set down his brushes in Marseille, a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

A great lover of the marine world and infinite spaces, Yann Letestu naturally draws his inspiration from his travels. One in particular proved to be an initiatory experience, influencing all his work: crossing the Atlantic on a sailing boat, a one-year voyage at the age of seven.

True to his passions, he decided to study at the Beaux-Arts. As time went by and he travelled further afield, he honed his talent, creating a personal world that was instantly recognisable. To better express his attraction to wide open spaces and open up horizons that leave everyone free to dream, he uses old nautical charts that he maroons on canvas. During the creative process, it is the aesthetics and graphics of the map that serve as a starting point for working on the scene in a narrative and figurative way, and orienting the subject.

Treated transparently in acrylic, watercolour and oil paint, in a range of soft, dreamy hues, the skies, shores and sea unfold their immensity.

Since 2001, he has exhibited in numerous shows and galleries in France, Belgium and Japan. He has also produced several covers for magazines and books.