Bertrand Thomassin (1963) - What a wonderful World

Oil on canvas – 100 × 100 cm

This oil on canvas by Bertrand Thomassin perfectly illustrates his buzzing, instinctive, and profoundly narrative universe. The composition brings together a multitude of characters, faces, and symbols that seem to cohabit within a single mental space. The large central figure, treated with a free and expressive gesture, dialogues with a series of silhouettes, animals, childish drawings and fragmented scenes that invite the eye to travel ceaselessly across the canvas.

The artist blends spontaneous writing, vivid colors, and layering of textures to build a work where every detail tells a story. The whole oscillates between naâïve figuration, outsider art, and contemporary expressionism, offering a constantly renewed reading. The chromatic contrasts, the vigor of the line, and the richness of textures give this composition an especially striking energy.

Both playful and deeply humane, this work questions emotions, memory, and the relationships between individuals. Its square format of 100 × 100 cm reinforces its visual impact and makes it a flagship piece of Bertrand Thomassin’s work.

Biography of the artist

Born in 1963, Bertrand Thomassin is a French artist trained at the Rouen School of Fine Arts from 1981 to 1983. His work follows in the continuity of Libre Figuration, while developing a very personal language that blends painting, sculpture, and assemblage.

His work is characterized by a great gestural freedom, a bustling iconography, and an intuitive approach to composition. Expressive faces, silhouettes, animals, and scenes of life mingle in dense universes where humor, poetry, and a critical look at the human condition coexist. Regularly exhibited in France and in Europe, Bertrand Thomassin is today recognized for his singular, immediately identifiable style, which combines spontaneity, expressive power, and narrative richness.