Robert Combas

Born in 1957 in Lyon, Robert Combas spent his childhood and adolescence in Sète. He has lived and worked in the Paris region since 1980.

In the early '80s, Robert Combas invented a new style of figurative painting. After joining the artistic scene in 1979, Robert founded an artistic movement entitled "Free Figuration", alongside artists Remi Blanchard, François Boisrond and Hervé Di Rosa, 

Robert Combas's painting is about freedom: it speaks of society, violence, sexuality, the suffering of the people, their small joys, their meanness, their greatness etc. He is inspired by rock music, popular images, children's books, literary books and essentially everything that makes pop culture accessible to everyone.

In 2010 some of Robert Combas's works were acquired by the Lacan collection. The painter also produced a remarkable series of prints. Faithful to pop culture and to his desire to provoke, Robert Combas's images are inspired by popular imagery.

Robert Combas manipulates images of daily life, mixing them with historical and mythological references. With a style inspired by comics and graffiti, he produces energetic and fun paintings that can sometimes have some violent or sensual touches.

In 2012 the first major retrospective dedicated to Robert Combas took place at the MAC Lyon, which presented more than 600 works from the 1970s till date. Since then the artist has continued to be invited to participate in various exhibitions and events, leaving his mark on the contemporary art world.