Thierry Esther, a talented artist from the island of La Réunion, could be considered the French Jean-Michel Basquiat. Just like the American artist, Thierry had a tumultuous childhood when his family moved to France when he was only 8 years old. It was during a landing of a Boeing on the tarmac of Orly, that he set foot on French soil for the first time. His mother Valentine, a fashion designer in La Réunion, had to switch careers to become a cleaning lady in the Paul Meyer stadium, as it was impossible for her to continue her career as a designer. However, she quickly realized that her son Thierry had a creative gift and encouraged him to explore his artistic potential by taking him to museums, exhibitions, and art galleries.
Thierry has created several striking series of artworks that have captivated audiences and sparked reflection. His first series, titled "Clean Art," shows how he uses household products to construct and deconstruct works of art. He also created a series on the famous opera singer Maria Callas, titled "Painting, Music, and Dust".
His latest series is about Japan, reflecting his perception of this ancient and modern country, through cherry blossoms and the impact of nuclear energy. This exhibition was supposed to take place in 2020, unfortunately, the pandemic postponed it until 2023.
His next artistic project, titled "Destruction of Artworks," will show how Thierry creates works of art only to partially destroy them using a blowtorch. This series will highlight the beauty of creation and destruction, a controversial topic for some.
Just like Basquiat, although Thierry is often misunderstood by the art world, he has a loyal following who follow him in his creative adventures. His provocative works stimulate reflection and discussion, which testifies to the depth of his talent as an artist. Both artists share a unique and original vision of art and an ability to explore controversial subjects with a provocative approach.
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