Ambroise & Victor
A French artist duo who re-examine the boundaries between humans and living creatures through ink painting and giant animal forms.
A New Constellation of Living Things
Ambroise & Victor is a French artist duo whose work centers on contemporary drawing. Through their unique natural historical worldview, meticulously depicting animals, plants, and minerals, they transcend cultures to re-examine the question of "how to perceive living things."
The two met in 2015. A carte blanche (free-form project) at the art space "Mains d'Œuvres" in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, on the outskirts of Paris, was the catalyst. The colossal ink painting of an elephant produced at that time marked the starting point of their collaborative work. Since then, their expression has expanded freely, not just on paper, but also into sculpture, tapestry, installation, and mobiles.
Viewers encountering their work are first struck by its overwhelming scale and the universal appeal that transcends species. However, upon closer observation, familiar animals emerge as somewhat unreal and simultaneously intimate yet distant presences—leading to an immersive experience.
"Cows, sheep, and pigs that should be familiar.Beyond their forms, we want to show 'something'different from the roles humans have arbitrarily assigned them."
Philosophy of Creation
The duo's artistic style stands in stark contrast to the scientific gaze that reduces nature to numbers and data. Through careful observation and extensive research, they approach their work with the perspective that even a single breath or a single pebble contains its own universe. They depict unexpected pathways between plants, internal organs, and microscopic organisms, layering their drawings to allow viewers to discover multiple instances of living things intertwining and merging.
Underpinning this approach is a deliberate slowness. Moving in the opposite direction of modern production environments, which prioritize mass production and rapid consumption, they value taking ample time for wonder and contemplation, as well as the freedom to navigate between knowledge and imagination.
Technique — Gradations of Ink
Created using the lavis technique (wash drawing) with Chinese ink (encre de Chine). By varying the dilution of the ink with water, they produce countless gradations from jet black to pure white, adding depth and subtlety to their works. Their highly time-intensive craftsmanship is a hallmark, with one piece depicting a single cow taking 600 hours.
Perspective — Animistic View of Nature
Starting from the idea that all elements possess a soul, they re-examine nature by detaching it from its functions and roles. Sensitivity to wonder (émerveillement) is the driving force behind their creation, and at the core of their work is the idea that humans, too, are part of a small ecosystem, existing within relationships with countless living things, including the bacteria in their own bodies.
About the Artists
Victor
Obtained a national diploma in architecture from the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Grenoble (2014). He applies his perspective on space and structure to the forms of animals and the construction of narratives.
Ambroise
Earned a master's degree in interactive system and object design from Strate College Paris (2012). He brings design concepts into the world of drawing.
"Intérieurs (Inner Lives)"
A solo exhibition held at Labanque, an art center in Béthune, Pas-de-Calais (a former Bank of France building). It features an immersive experience that traces the cycle of life, accompanied by music from composer Thomas Vaquié, as visitors explore rooms with remaining 19th-century Haussmannian decor.
Room One | The Time of Origins
A deep blue room. An ink painting of a cow on the wall, a tapestry depicting two intertwined snakes on the floor, and a ceramic egg above the fireplace. Visitors step into a world where animals dominate the space.
Room Two | A Journey into Introspection
A gigantic bear drawing, stretching from floor to ceiling, greets visitors. This seamless single painting is a testament to the duo's skill, having refined their technique to share a common brushstroke.
Room Three | The Golden Age
Displaying a pig sculpture, their first venture into three-dimensional work, moving beyond paper. From flatness to volume—this room heralds the beginning of a new series.
Room Four | The Cycle of Renewal
The final room, dyed a deep red. A mobile of bats, opening and closing their wings, is a symbolic presence. When the wings close, flowering plants appear; when they open, a scene of decomposition emerges, where mushrooms and scavengers transform death into life. Alongside it, a work depicting a pangolin, mistakenly identified as a source of infection, quietly suggests the life that arises after disaster.