Sébastien Bayet

Born in 1969 in Hirson, France, Sébastien Bayet is a French contemporary painter who lives and works between France and Madagascar.

After initially pursuing a career as a land surveyor, he decided in 1996 to dedicate himself entirely to painting. In 1998, he received the Young Painting Prize in Germany, marking an important milestone in his artistic journey.

Initially influenced by Neo-Expressionism, Sébastien Bayet gradually developed a distinctive visual language, moving between figuration and abstraction. His early paintings explored themes related to the human condition, before evolving towards a deeper investigation of materiality, memory and art history.

Fascinated by the Old Masters, he has reinterpreted the artistic worlds of Goya, Velázquez and Leonardo da Vinci, among others. More recently, his series dedicated to artists' studios have paid tribute to influential figures such as Frida Kahlo, Sonia Delaunay and Nicolas de Staël.

Materiality lies at the heart of his artistic practice. Combining oil painting, collage and textiles, Bayet creates richly layered compositions with remarkable depth and texture. Since 2017, he has incorporated discarded sails from traditional Vezo fishing boats in Madagascar, giving new life to fabrics shaped by time and experience.

Through this distinctive approach, Sébastien Bayet transforms materials carrying their own histories into contemporary artworks where memory, creativity and emotion converge.

His work has been exhibited in France and internationally and is represented in several private collections.