Rêverie italienne, 2024

Mascarade  

Born in 1988, Alexandre Delaunay aka Mascarade is a painter who lives and works in Le Havre. He began painting in 2000, clandestinely on the walls in the streets. Mascarade works today almost exclusively in his studio-gallery created in 2015, however he responds to numerous commissions to illuminate the public space with his talents, and participates in associative projects to raise awareness of art among the youngest.

After three years spent at the Ecole d'Art du Havre, on the verge of graduation, not feeling in tune with the contemporary artistic creation that was put forward, Mascarade decided to leave the school. Also, on the occasion of the Biennale in 2016, he illegally painted his emblematic character "Super Masquerade" on the Volcan, emblematic scene of Le Havre. This act of denunciation made him known nationally.

Street art as Mascarade has known it has not always been the object of private or public commissions, working all day for all to see. Indeed, in his early days, eagerness, adrenaline and the fear of getting caught were both the main constraint and the engine of creation of the young artist. These strong sensations, he still transcribes them today in his drawings and paintings in the studio.

His work is marked by the influence of artists who fascinate him. Among them Keith Haring, Fernand Léger, Jean Dubuffet or Henri Matisse.

However, his true identity lies in his fascination with masks from all walks of life, which leave only the eyes as the only reflection of the soul.