Laurent Lanneau is an abstract painter whose work explores the dialogue between instinct and control, playfulness and intention. A French-born American artist and professional chef, Lanneau brings a raw, expressive quality to his paintings, influenced by Art Brut and the spontaneity of street art. His work is a reflection of self-discovery, where layers of texture, color, and symbolism interact in a visual conversation between his adult consciousness and his uninhibited inner child.
Origin: France
Currently Exhibiting in: New York City
Social Media: Instagram: @laurent_lanneau
Bio
Laurent Lanneau is a self-taught artist who found his voice in painting as a way to navigate personal reflection and creative freedom. His work is deeply influenced by the rawness of Art Brut and the liberating energy of street art, allowing him to explore form and emotion without constraint. As both an artist and a chef, Lanneau sees painting as an extension of his instinctual approach to creation—blending elements, layering textures, and allowing the process to guide the final outcome.
His exhibitions span international venues, including the Summer City Idyll at Agora Gallery in New York City (2024), Vivid Contemporary Art Exhibition at Van Gogh Art Gallery in Madrid (2023), and Miami Art Week with Artbox Projects. His work has also been featured at the Paris Art Fair, reinforcing his connection to both European and American contemporary art scenes.
Lanneau’s practice is rooted in the balance between chaos and structure. He describes his process as a conversation between two parts of himself: the adult, who seeks meaning and control, and the inner child, who embraces playfulness and spontaneity. Through layers of acrylic, ink, and modeling paste, he builds textured compositions that challenge conventional order while maintaining an emotional depth that resonates with the viewer.
At the core of his work is a pursuit of self-exploration—painting as a way of asking, Who are we really? This question drives his artistic journey, inviting audiences to reflect on their own identities and reconnect with their truest selves.
Featured Artwork at Bushwick Gallery
Soul Searching
- Year of Creation: 2025
- Medium: Acrylic paint and mixed media on canvas
- Dimensions: 16” x 20”
- Price: $800
- Description: Inspired by the question Do we truly know ourselves?, Soul Searching explores the layered nature of self-identity. The textured surface, built with acrylic, inks, and modeling paste, creates an evolving composition where meaning shifts depending on the viewer’s perspective. The work embodies the tension between structured thought and instinctive creation, offering an invitation for introspection.
Exhibition Information
March 2025: “Metamorphosis: Transformations in Art”
Curated by: Paridhi Chawla
Theme: Exploring transformation, change, and evolution through artistic expression.
Exhibition Dates: March 6 – March 13, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 6 | 6 PM – 8 PM
Guided audio experience
For accessibility, the full video transcript is provided below for those who prefer to read or are unable to listen.
“In Soul Searching, Laurent Lanneau layers paint like memory—built up, scraped away, revealed in fragments. The textured surface of acrylic, ink, and modeling paste creates a raw, tactile presence, where form is both emerging and dissolving. Shades of deep red and burnt ochre pulse beneath a dark, weathered surface, evoking a sense of something buried yet persistent, something just beyond reach.
There is an urgency in the way the layers interact, a tension between control and instinct. Cracked textures suggest the passage of time, while flickers of blue at the edges break through, like glimpses of something once forgotten. The work holds no fixed meaning; it shifts with the viewer, responding to light, to distance, to perception itself.
Lanneau’s process embraces imperfection, allowing the act of painting to be as much about discovery as creation. Soul Searching is not about resolution but exploration—a recognition that identity is never singular, never still, but constantly forming, eroding, and reforming again.”