Nino, 2021

Clara NineL  

Clara NineL, born in 1988, a self-taught draftsman based in Marseille.

His first drawing class was a calligraphy class. Today, she applies the philosophy of Indian ink painting “Sumi-e" to her practice. In particular that of respecting the void within a drawing, as well as the notion of representation suggested rather than detailed.

The first exhibition she remembers was a retrospective of Daumier's drawings, where she was captivated by the expressiveness of the characters depicted. She also harbors an admiration for the preparatory drawings made with great speed by masters such as Federico Zuccaro, Leonardo da Vinci and Fragonard. Thus, Clara draws everyday faces and bodies in motion on the spot, seeking to capture the essence of the subject. Even if she produces her works in Indian ink without a model, she imposes on herself a speed of execution that requires great confidence in her gesture, another fundamental principle of the philosophy of Indian ink. His series of ink portraits aims to find the line, the stain or the shadow that reveals the uniqueness of each individual.

This series of drawings was produced as part of an artistic residency at La Réserve des Arts de Marseille in 2022 since his works have been shown to the public during various exhibitions.