Figure 21, 2022

Fabien Delaube  

Born in 1973, Fabien Delaube is a French painter whose work has extended beyond national borders, from France to China, by way of Belgium, Germany, and Canada. His work revolves around a central, almost obsessive motif: the mask. Not as a mere ornament, but as a key to understanding human identity—multiple, fluid, sometimes concealed behind its own appearances.

Her painting practice relies on a subtle alchemy of mixed media techniques. Acrylic paint lays the initial pulse on the canvas, quickly enriched by oil paint, patina effects, and textural textures. This layering creates a dense, vibrant pictorial skin, where light sometimes seems to surface from the deepest strata.

At the crossroads of expressionism, surrealism, and symbolism, Fabien Delaube composes fragmented figures, shattered faces, like so many broken mirrors of the soul. His works explore the plurality of identities, the tensions between what is shown and what is kept silent, between strength and vulnerability. The colors, sometimes sharp, sometimes veiled, contribute to this constant tension, creating a space where emotion surfaces without ever fully revealing itself.

In this intimate and universal exploration, the artist invites the viewer to lose themselves—or perhaps find themselves—in the interstices of their compositions. Each work then becomes an introspective territory, where mystery, memory, and transformation intertwine.

Recognized on the international contemporary scene, Fabien Delaube pursues a unique research, both introspective and symbolic, where the human being constantly engages in dialogue with their own mythologies.