Damien Nicolas ROUX
Lives and work in Lyon, France

Artist and graphic designer
Master's degree in
Marketing and advertising

'The paintings and the installations of Damien Nicolas Roux are charming, especially in the way they take full advantage of the space available. The aluminium surface -cold and glossy- deals with more traditionnal painting effects in an surprising manner.'

Abstract - 2004

Hervé CHANDES
Director, Fondation Cartier
pour l'Art Contemporain

About DNR's work:
Patterns, Colours and Aluminium

French artist Damien Nicolas Roux (DNR) started exhibiting his works in 2003 after a 10-year career in the advertising and communications business. He did not turn his back on it completly though. He found his artistic roots in it - and still needs it "for inspiration" as he likes to remind those who encourage him to quit. Being an artist and an entrepreneur (he successfully launched an e-marketing company and still works part-time in the field of communications) requires pretty much the same qualities he says: "you must be creative, take risks and work hard".

His background in communications made using aluminium as his canvas a natural choice. DNR takes recycled aluminium plates from the printing industry and paints them with lackspray and acrylic in plain monochrome surface (such as "bendays" used in printings) and in addition creates his own "graphic alphabets" for each series. Ranging from familiar patterns ('puzzled patterns' series) to impossible perspectives ( ' space patterns' series), they become the playground of his "visual stories". But for who or what?

For a spot – black, plenty and lonesome – that remains invariably at the heart of each painting. 'The Hero of all my visual stories' says DNR about the D-Spot. Some may see a eye in it, a starting point or a final dot. Whatever its nature may be, it tends to induce life and motion in what could have been colourful, abstract, almost decorative, works. But there's a little more to see than meets the eye... if you want to.

Above
Crawling Yellow 2 | Crawling Patterns

Flat Sculpture for an angle
Lackspray, acrylic and nails
on recycled aluminium
50X50X10 cm
© DNR 2009

Press releases

BLOC NOTES MAPRA (june 08)
INTERMEDIA (june 08)
ELLE DECORATION (april 07)
INTERMEDIA (oct 06)
SUD OUEST (august 06)
L'ECHO DE DORDOGNE (august 06)
LYON INTERNATIONAL (june 05)
LYON CAPITALE (may 05)
INTERMEDIA (may 05)
LYON MAG (may 05)
A NOUS LYON (may 05)