Clémence Bruno

My painting practice draws on traditional techniques and unfolds between fiction and reality in order to sacralize moments of collectivity. By revealing intimate moments, I seek to highlight new ways of being together beyond the institutional frameworks of family or romantic partnership.

While questioning the ambiguity and fragility of the bonds that unite them, I aim to bring attention to platonic love, often overlooked in favor of romantic love. Through the simplicity of everyday scenes, painting underscores the preciousness of our friendships and elevates the possibility of a new way of being “family.”

Staging my close friends materializes a discourse that we conceive together. It may take shape through references to Renaissance painting, drawing on its visual and symbolic codes—such as scenes of the Annunciation, representations of the Virgin, or Mary Magdalene, who embodies the expression of a dominant narrative. Through this transposition, I seek to address contemporary issues such as motherhood, romantic relationships, and co-parenting dynamics. I relocate them into contexts where parental and familial roles are called into question, allowing me to reinvent narratives, interrogate social structures, and reflect on how we conceive of our relationships.

I graduated from the Beaux-Arts in Marseille in 2024. During my studies, I formed precious friendships that became central to my work. My years of study also enabled me to deepen my reflection on the processes involved in making a painting. I pay particular attention to the preparation of my tools, mediums, and supports, considering this phase as a space of research and experimentation in its own right.

Since completing my studies, my work has been presented in several group exhibitions, notably at Galerie Michel Journiac in Paris, La Friche Belle de Mai in Marseille, Galerie Ars Longa in Aix-en-Provence, the art center Le Point Commun in Annecy, and the West Bund Art Fair in Shanghai.

I have also participated in several research and creation residencies: at Les Moulins de Paillard; at the castle of artist Clément Kraus in Murow (Germany); and at APM in Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer.

My work has been the subject of two solo exhibitions: Amitiés at Galerie Ars Longa and Démultiplier la tendresse at the art center Le Point Commun. It will soon be presented at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Limoges as part of the group exhibition LECTURE(S).