“Sébastien OSSWALD is a young painting graduate of the “Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs”, the Fine Art School of Strasbourg,. Having spent two years in Madagascar as an international volunteer, he transports us into a sensitive and unique world. He paints on unexpected materials, such as African mats, printed or coloured fabric and mulberry bark, all of which help frame and organise his brush strokes.

Through a contemporary and meticulous painting style; his work speaks to us of travel and cultural diversity. Nevertheless, Sébastien Osswald is primarily interested in the contrasts within civilisations, especially noticeable in the South, where zebu bulls pull carts past cybercafés without any shame. Each artwork questions the tension that exists between tradition and the modern world (imperfect handmade materials, printed fabric, spots of paint, an empirical approach to painting, abstraction contrasting with photorealism through a frame that evokes a digital image).

Most of his pieces are portraits of local men, women and children, who cope as best they can to maintain their cultural traditions in the face of the influences imposed on them by the West, for better and for worse. In spite of this,  a warmth and serenity  emanates from his portraits, reflecting that all is not lost  ”