Ludovic Dervillez
PAINTER. CERNAY-LÈS-REIMS. FRANCE
LUDOVIC DERVILLEZ (1973) DOES NOT BUILD SURFACES, BUT TIMES. EACH CANVAS IS AN ARCHIVE OF RETREATING GESTURES, A RECORD OF WHAT HAPPENED AND DECIDED TO ERASE ITSELF. FAR FROM IMMEDIACY, HIS PAINTING SLOWS DOWN THE PACE, FORCING US TO LOOK FROM DELAY. COLOR, ONCE DENSE, BECOMES VAPOR. THE LINE, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A CRY, IS NOW A WHISPER. AN ART OF VOLUNTARY RENUNCIATION, WHERE STRENGTH LIES NOT IN WHAT IS MARKED BUT IN WHAT BARELY HOLDS. STARRING @LUDOVIC.DERVILLEZ — WWW.LUDOVICDERVILLEZ.COM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY XAVIER LAVICTOIRE
“ Which artwork that you haven’t seen yet would you like to see in person?”
The original Lascaux Cave — definitely not the replica.
“Could you define your art in three words?”
Intensity, tension, presence.
“Do you have any quirks or obsessions in your studio?”
I like leaving my studio with the feeling that I’ve either completed a successful painting during the day or that I’m very close to achieving one. Otherwise, I tend to have a bad evening — sometimes even a bad night. I think that’s probably my main obsession, as far as I know…
“Why does your work look this way and not any other? What made you set aside all other styles?”
My work looks the way it does today because I explored many different directions before gradually finding the one in which I felt most comfortable — the one most aligned with my nature and with the reflections I wanted to pursue through painting.
Moreover, my choice of abstraction was not accidental. I have always felt the need to express myself according to my own rules and to create my own formal universe. That is also the main reason why I quickly moved away from figuration, which I experienced as a limitation, almost a dead end.
In truth, I have learned a great deal from my peers, and I naturally continue to do so, but I have never tried to resemble anyone else. I have never stopped being myself in my work. I have always wanted to become one with it in order to express what is deepest within me, both inwardly and intellectually.
“What is your favorite food?”
Something simple and very French: grilled andouillette with sautéed potatoes or homemade fries.
“How do you know when a piece is finally finished?“
When I don’t have too many doubts at the moment I decide it’s finished. If I do, I usually end up reconsidering it, partially or completely.
“Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?”
More introverted, though not in a neurotic sense.
“Where would you like to live?”
Without any hesitation: Provence. There’s such a softness there, and the light is unquestionably unique. It’s a deeply inspiring and delightful region.
Piece with Artist Magazine. may 2026. © www.piecewithartist.com
@piecewithartist
@ludovic_dervillez
ADVERTISEMENT