Paul de FLERS

Born in 1988, Paul de Flers is a painter of tropical and melancholic landscapes. Drawing on his travels and stays in Piedmont, Lisbon, Brussels, and Athens, he also draws inspiration from old photographs, personal memories, and his appreciation for architecture—particularly Brazilian Brutalism, the large, empty, dilapidated houses of Sicily, and the somewhat outdated Art Nouveau facades along the seashore.

Since last summer, the artist has become captivated by the ancient technique of fresco painting and has been working to reproduce its distinctive effect. By using a mixture of various stone powders and quick-drying pigments, and by gradually erasing the layers, he manages to recreate the melancholic impression of the passage of time that characterizes ancient frescoes. As if absorbed by the wall over the centuries, his paintings seem to belong to an immemorial past.

This sense of drowning throughout the ages is reinforced by the very subject matter of his paintings: silhouettes waiting mysteriously near bodies of water or outdated architecture. It becomes impossible for the viewer to uncover their identities and intentions, as Paul de Flers multiplies the contradictions and dramatic elements: an intangible scenario with dystopian undertones set amid a warm, paradisiacal natural landscape; architecture reminiscent of stranded ocean liners; an insoluble blend of familiarity and strangeness…

At this year's event, Private Choice presents the painting titled *Styx*, named after the river of the underworld in Greek mythology, near which the souls of the dead await the arrival of the ferryman Charon.