Anne-Christine Roda - museum of art

Anne-Christine RodaI define a highly original interpretation of the portrait: in my work the painting is entirely subjugated to the portrayal of man’s fragility. My paintings, in terms of the choice of pose for my models and the neutral treatment of their backgrounds are as rooted in tradition, as my subjects are sourced unequivocally from our contemporary era. My choice of subject speaks directly to our everyday lives. My ‘sitters’ – very diverse in age and social status are striking in their individuality. Yet going beyond the individual, their very diversity represents disparate fragments of a mosaic combining to reveal an image of humanity pulsating with life. Through this shared humanity each portrait has the power to evoke in an instant for the viewer, the most personal of memories. Thanks to my training as a picture restorer, I, with each meticulously applied layer of paint gradually reveals my sitters face in all its naked intimacy. The features emerge with precision and realism. The gentle hollow of a fine wrinkle, the texture of a strand of hair or even the moisture of a glistening eye: it’s in this quest for exactitude and fidelity to my subject that the individual is revealed in all its sensitivity. It was the dawn of photography amongst other things that heralded the decline of the painted portrait and yet it is from a photograph that I work, ultimate proof that while digging deep into the traditions of my art form I distance myself from this very tradition in seeking a naked rawness in my representations. Since 2013, I have exhibited in Galleries (France, Geneva, Munich), Art Centres (in France), Art Fairs (Paris, Strasbourg, Monaco) and Museums (National Portrait Gallery in London and Edinburgh, Ulster Museum in Belfast, Meam in Barcelona, Wausau Museum in Wmoca). In 2015, I participated to the BP Portrait Award. My paintings are part of collections in France, Switzerland, Germany, UK, United States, Hong Kong...