"What if these fun, enigmatic portraits were of us?" So many characters, so many expressions, so many aspects like reflections of our souls. Colourful, gaudy and full of life: Stéphane Hardel's paintings are a pleasure to look at. The sparkling eye seeks, gets lost, then finds markers, clues... This work cannot leave viewers indifferent: its polysensuality provides all the reasons you need to come back to it time and time again. Great liberty in the use of media. For example, look at the little cubes of concrete or metal that contain a whole world of their own. " Lesly Heather / Beside-the-wave Gallery - London

Painting is freedom.

Stéphane has not achieved this freedom with sketches or drafts.
He does it freely, spontaneously, "throwing" his ideas onto canvas.
Indeed, any intermediaries between medium and surface are kept to a strict minimum. Stéphane mostly paints directly with his hands.
For a long time, this type of "production" created ghostly faces, probably drawn from distant memories.

Today, it produces dinosaurs and other haunting creatures. These "urban dinosaurs" are childhood creatures with a fun side, further enhanced by the omnipresence of colour and the use of perspex.

A second look also reveals a representation of a humanity that is not always trust-worthy. A powerful, fragile species.

The work is heavy with symbols from urban mythology and references to current affairs.
Cities, skyscrapers: the powerful creations of mankind, his strength and domination.
Beware - this power can soon be turned to evil ends.
Dinosaurs represent the depths of our soul, our wild side, what has gone before us as well as what lies ahead. A devastating sub-consciousness.

This graphic fusion of animals and the skyscrapers that seem hover between protection and destruction is just one example. They are made with the same material, they are of the same origin. Together they dominate, together they perish.

All this in a configuration combining devastation and irony: there will be nothing more, even the worst, without entertainment, sparkle and exhibitionism.