James Coignard

James Coignard is a painter, ceramic artist, sculptor and writer born in 1925 in Tours. He worked in the administration for 4 years. At the age of 23 he discovered the landscapes of the Cote d'Azur, and that helped him take the decision to study at the Decorative Arts School in Nice.

His meeting with Paul Hervieu in 1950 has been a turning point in his career. His collaboration with the Hervieu Gallery helped him become well known in the French artistic community and abroad, particularly in the Scandinavian countries.

At the beginning of his career, critics considered him to be a member the Paris School and his painting and ceramic pieces were very appreciated.

In the early 60s he began to work with glass. In 1986, his friend Henri Goetz discovered a new engraving technique that used carborundum, and this marked an evolution in his technique.

This is how engraving became a central aspect of his practice. At the same time, his career started to take an international dimension. He was travelling a lot, especially in Sweden and the United States where he lived for a few years.

In 1978 James Coignard started a steady collaboration with the Pasnic engraving workshop. In the 80s, he lived between Paris and the Côte d?Azur and took an interest in artists' books and publishing issues. He had numerous shows all over the world and became recognized as one of the greatest painters-engravers of his time.

Until his death, in 2008, he continued to produce paintings, sculptures and prints; he produced numerous pieces and left behind an immense body of work.