ARTIST WORKER
Artiste-Ouvrier is a French painter and urban artist. Since 2000, he has been creating his works using stencils and spray paint, most often on walls but also on other surfaces such as vinyl records or wooden panels.
He began practicing stencil painting in 1993, but it was in 2000 that he decided to dedicate himself to it and adopt the name "Artiste-Ouvrier". Three years later, with Spliff Gâchette, he organized the "Internationale Pochoiriste" event in Nogent-sur-Marne, which involved the collaborative creation of a 69-meter-long mural and was attended by Yseult and Epsylon Point, among others.
He subsequently participated in other legal urban painting initiatives, such as the Stencil Project in 2004, which brought together some of the biggest names in Parisian street art, such as Blek le rat and Jef Aérosol. The following year, he participated in the "Section Urbaine" exhibition at the Blancs-Manteaux market in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, alongside Ernest Pignon-Ernest, Speedy Graphito, Nemo, Jérôme Mesnager, Paella, Mosko and associates...
He was then contacted by Is Bach, future Js of JanaundJs, and 6lex, who wished to learn his advanced stencil technique. Their collaboration marked the creation of the WCA, the Working Class Artists. At that time, Artiste-Ouvrier went to Hamburg, and this was an opportunity for the WCA to welcome new artists, including Jana, future member of Jana und Js, and to rename itself WCA-ASA, for "Altona Stencil Art".
In 2008, he was invited to the annual Lézarts de la Bièvre event and on this occasion created paintings in the 5th and 13th arrondissements of Paris. The same year, he was invited to London by Banksy as part of the Cans festival, alongside internationally recognized artists such as the Portuguese Vhils.
Artiste-Ouvrier's stencils contain a high level of detail and are frequently in color. Unlike many other artists who use color, he only uses two stencils for the same work but can nevertheless use up to 48 colors.
He is heavily influenced by 19th-century painting, particularly Pre-Raphaelitism.
He only paints in legal places or with the agreement of the property owners.
