Nuage, Circa 1985

Alex Berdal  

Alex Berdal is a French visual artist, painter and sculptor, born on June 9, 1945 in Perpignan.
Alex Berdal trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he quickly developed a highly original perception of pictorial volumes, simultaneously present and bordering on the surreal. He participated in the Prix de Rome competition in 1968, with his painting "The Garden of Earthly Delights," and was awarded the Second Grand Prix de Rome, in a turbulent year in which no First Grand Prix was awarded. His painting was exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1969 and purchased by the French State (FNAC).

Winner of the Prince Rainier III of Monaco International Grand Prize in 1969 and a resident at the Casa de Velázquez in 1971, Alex Berdal continues to explore the geometrization of forms, playing on the proximity of planes and the openness of space. He exhibits in major Parisian salons, such as the Salon d'Automne, the Salon des Artistes Français, and the Salon des Peintres Témoins de leur Temps, while simultaneously refining his artistic approach.

In 1970, an exhibition in Japan was followed in 1974 by a presentation of his works at the Orangerie du Sénat. In 1975, a tour of exhibitions showcased his work in Russia (Moscow and Leningrad).

He was awarded the gold medal at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1978 and the following year, the Taylor Prize at the Salon d'Automne recognized his entire body of work.

Berdal builds his canvases in superimposed layers, playing on the density of the paint layer in contrast to the simplicity of the volumes. His forms are often embedded in the paint, the silhouettes suggested. His subjects, particularly in his still lifes, seem to emerge slowly, like a memory surfacing on the canvas. Gradually, Berdal turned more and more towards sculpture, which he saw as the culmination of his painted work.

Alex Berdal died in 2010. His works are included in the collections of the FNAC, the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée de Fontainebleau and the Musée d'Art Moderne de Téhéran.