Of French and Swiss origin, born in Paris and now based in the south of France, Catherine Duchêne belongs to the sensualist expressionist movement, which she defines as an inner quest rather than a pursuit of beauty.

“Beauty is not the goal — what matters is the journey,” she likes to remind us.

 

Her path, marked by decisive turns, mirrors this intensity. In 2000, as she was preparing to dedicate herself to the performing arts in Nice, her grandmother’s illness disrupted her plans and brought her back to Paris. Through a series of small jobs, the idea of art therapy began to take root.

 

Her perseverance eventually led her to a pivotal encounter:

Jean-Yves Guionet, master of Sensualism. After an initial

refusal, she persisted until she was accepted into his

workshops. Shortly afterward, her work was recognized by

the École des Beaux-Arts de Versailles, which admitted her

directly into the third year.

 

Since 2002, her art has been acknowledged through

numerous awards, including the prestigious Albert Maignan

Prize from the Taylor Foundation. She exhibits regularly in

France and abroad, and in 2017, one of her paintings was

presented to former French President François Hollande,

earning both national and international media attention.

 

Catherine Duchêne primarily paints in oil on linen canvas or wood panel, and also explores mixed media on paper, with a particular affinity for charcoal. Influenced by Lydie Arickx and Miquel Barceló, she has developed a vibrant form of expressionism where the energy of the gesture converses with the density of matter — a play of shadows at times reminiscent of Seurat, and bursts of color recalling Van Gogh.

 

 

“Her works are the imprint of her gesture and the reflection

of her breath.Unequivocally expressionist, her art

juxtaposes forms, pushing them into dialogue,

adding to the complexity of representation.”

— Ludovic Duhamel, Editor-in-Chief, Miroir de l’Art