‘Realms of Curiosity’: Inside Flavien Martinel’s artistic universe

On September 26, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) inaugurated “Realms of Curiosity”, a solo exhibition by French artist Flavien Martinel. AFD Director François Chambraud was present at the event. Following the inauguration, the exhibition opened to visitors at Galerie Zoom.

Flavien Martinel is part of the duo Citopir. Alongside Indian artist Manmeet Kaur, he creates audiovisual interactive performances, workshops and public murals. A multidisciplinary artist, Flavien has been painting, rapping and, at times, DJing for over 20 years. He has performed in Nepal, India, Canada, Burkina Faso, Germany, Spain and across France. Combining old-school hip-hop influences with his particular love for world music, he embraces and blends cultures. The exhibition is titled “Realms of Curiosity” as the artist continues to explore new subjects, thought processes and ways of painting.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Image

Flavien is open to working with multiple mediums, including acrylics, spray paint and even terracotta and chuna (calcium hydroxide or slaked lime). For this exhibition, he has mostly used watercolours, including some eco-friendly materials from India, such as indigo blue. Half of the paper used for the works is tree-free and made from cotton waste from India.

Flavien has put 30 of his versatile works on display. The first work that caught my eye was “Liberal Slavery”. Looking at it, all I could think of was the mental chaos that people like myself go through every day when thinking about things that should not happen. The artist loves animals and “unattainable” birds, and they seem to adore him back. He has painted that mutual affection on paper, including two lovely canines; one from Himachal and the other from Kerala.

Image

A few years ago, Flavien practised Vipassana, which altered the way he approached life and his inner self. It also found its way into his drawings, which he considers a form of meditation. Marcus Gad’s reggae music has also inspired him to create.

The abstract paintings, mostly in indigo blue, reflect Flavien’s patience and dedication. But the most electrifying works are his figures in motion, capturing hip-hop and breakdancing moves. Two of them feature striking pink trail effects, dismantling the outdated notion of the colour being associated solely with femininity.

Alongside other striking yet simple works, he has also created a piece depicting a person wrapped in a keffiyeh, accompanied by an Urdu phrase that translates to “hoping for a better future”.

Flavien Martinel may create simple, small-scale drawings and paintings, but the messages they carry are huge, loud, clear and bold, yet gentle. This exhibition, a part of his artistic “universe”, will remain open at AFD until October 9, 2026.