Born in 1976, Sébastien Arcouet is originally from the Basque Country, where he settled after living in Marseille for 30 years. Sébastien began his career at a store specializing in artists’ paints before devoting himself exclusively to his work as an artist. Over time, he developed a genuine fascination with landscapes and considers himself clearly aligned with Fauvism.

The term “Fauvism,” coined by the critic Louis Vauxcelles following the 1905 Salon d’Automne exhibition, refers to paintings that emphasize the use of color—rather than line—and feature vibrant, artificial hues. A leading figure of Fauvism, Matisse—drawing inspiration from Gauguin, van Gogh, and Seurat—took art a step further toward abstraction, freeing it from the static nature of the subject by infusing movement into the color and energy into the brushwork.

Sébastien Arcouet is also driven by color, the intensity of color, and the simplification of forms. He paints what he sees using vivid tones dominated by ultramarine blue. His canvases are characterized by warm colors, strong contrasts, and the interplay of light and shadow. His limited palette allows him to capture the essence: “I love powerful color contrasts that lead me toward a form of reinvented Fauvism.” Sketches, gouaches, and paintings are all joyful expressions of his surroundings, his appreciation for light, and his love of movement.