Congratulations to Julien Heintz, a 2024 graduate and the 2026 winner of the Jean-François Prat Prize.
Drawing inspiration from documentary archive footage of historical events of the 20th century, Julien Heintz’s paintings capture the atmosphere of a bygone era, depicting the blurred yet recognisable features of anonymous human figures—figures initially perceived in motion—on the cusp of abstraction and figuration.
"Nothing is more intimate to us, closer to us, than a face. Julien Heintz presents us with a close-up of a face, too large for the frame and which therefore spills over, as if the entire painting could not fully capture it. The painting is on the scale of a body, yet focuses solely on this face, which is no longer on the same scale as us. The painting has the shape of a window, but it does not open onto the outside world.” – Rose Vidal
"By repeatedly creating these images through painting, I have stripped away the elements relating to the subject and the context. Deep down, I’d like to paint them in the style of Rothko. I’d like the colour to cover the entire canvas, and the viewer’s gaze to take in the whole canvas." – Julien Heintz
Established in 2012, the Jean-François PRAT Prize is primarily aimed at promoting contemporary painting and enabling emerging artists of all nationalities to bring their projects to fruition.
Photo credit: © filippo
Julien Heintz
Julien Heintz
Julien Heintz
Julien Heintz
Julien Heintz
