French Artist Hermentaire Considers Narrative Potential with Contemporary Art

In conversation
In this interview, Otomys and Hermentaire engage in a conversation about his upcoming exhibition where he delves into the interplay between the ‘light of dreams’, the ‘darkness of thought’, and the power of the unconscious mind. Hermentaire brings his paintings to life by exploring their narrative potential. Collaborating with filmmaker and wife, Alexandra Leroux, he has created an animation that brings his artworks into motion, seamlessly uniting his three disciplines—painting, cinema, and music—to further enrich and expand the storytelling of When My Eyes Wake Up At Night To Wander.  
 
 
 

 

 

OTOMYS: Hermentaire, you speak of the "fragile light of dreams" and the "dense darkness of thoughts". How do you navigate the tension or balance between these two elements within your creative process? 

 

HERMENTAIRE: The light of dreams and the darkness of thoughts do not oppose each other; they respond to one another. In my process, I let them freely converse: light emerges from shadow, and shadow gives depth to light. This interplay creates a fragile balance, a space where the image oscillates between appearance and disappearance, between the conscious and the unconscious. 

 

 

OTOMYS: As a French based artist, you’ve mentioned that your African heritage often emerges unintentionally through your art. Do elements of your heritage inform the dreamlike landscapes and figures you’re exploring and if so, how? 

 

HERMENTAIRE: My African heritage is not a conscious reference in my work, but it naturally permeates my creations, like a silent memory. It may manifest in the way I approach shapes, colours, or the apparent simplicity of my figures.  In my dreamlike landscapes, this influence can also be seen in the organic relationship between elements, an instinctive connection between humans, animals, and nature, reminiscent of a worldview where everything is interconnected. But more than my cultural heritage, what I seek is a state of mind—one of spontaneous, free creation, close to the intuitive expression found in children's art. 

 

OTOMYS: You’ve worked across a variety of creative mediums, namely film, music and visual arts. What is the core to your overall practice and to what degree do you find music and film overlapping into your visual painting and drawing, particularly for this exhibition?  

 
HERMENTAIRE: At the heart of my work is a constant quest: translating emotions and inner visions into images or sounds. Whether through cinema, music, or painting, I explore atmospheres, rhythms, and a certain sense of narration. For this exhibition, the influence of cinema and music is perhaps noticeable in the composition of the works: some scenes are structured almost like film frames, while the fluidity of shapes and colors evokes movement, a vibration similar to musical rhythm. 
 
This time, I wanted to further develop the storytelling aspect of the paintings by bringing them to life. I collaborated with my wife, Alexandra Leroux, to create a film that animates certain paintings from the exhibition and makes them interact, all set to music. This was the best way to bring these three disciplines—painting, cinema, and music—together. 
 
 

OTOMYS: There’s a sense of letting go, of losing oneself, in the process of dreaming, as you mention in the exhibition statement. Do you feel that the act of creating these works allows you to "get lost" in the same way? How does this exhibition, with its focus on the unconscious, differ in emotional impact from other works you’ve consciously made? 

 

HERMENTAIRE: I try as much as possible to embrace a sense of letting go in my creative process, which at times may resemble a dream state or a form of self- hypnosis. Some forms emerge on their own, as if they impose themselves on me. For this exhibition, I became even more aware of the power of the unconscious and decided to fully trust it, allowing the images to surface even more freely, without constraint. 
 
 
Viewing Room
February 19, 2025