Biography
"I am primarily interested in matter and its composition. The subject and the effect it produces, in me or in others, is a more recent question." - Maxime Biou
Maxime Biou graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied for five years in François Boisrond’s studio. He began painting shortly before enrolling at the École, initially working almost exclusively from life, using his friends and everyday elements as models. It was only later that he incorporated photographic references into his creative process, granting him greater freedom.
A painter of spontaneity, Maxime Biou acts as a witness to the moments he captures. The narratives in his paintings are more implied than explicitly stated. The key lies in the relationship that forms between the viewer and what the work, its treatment, and its material evoke. Thus, Maxime Biou does not impose interpretation on the viewer; instead, he allows ample space for it to develop and take root.
His work has received numerous awards: the Diamond Grant, the Friends of the Beaux-Arts Prize/Bertrand de Demandolx Prize, the Yishu 8 Prize, the Fénéon Artistic Prize, and the Encouragement Prize in Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts.
Recently, his work has been featured in several group exhibitions, including the 2019 show of the laureates of the Emerige Revelation Grant – L’effet falaise – after which the National Museum of the History of Immigration acquired his painting Les naufragés for its permanent collection.
In 2021-2022, Maxime was an artist-in-residence at the Casa de Velázquez, Académie de France in Madrid. In late 2023, he was in residence at the Beijing House of Arts, invited by Yishu8.
*Excerpt from the biography written by Matthieu Iandolino for the Casa de Velázquez*
Works
Exhibitions
