Ortaire de Coupigny : Artist Profile.
Ortaire de Coupigny is a French artist whose practice bridges sculpture and painting. His Sardine Can series transforms engraved aluminum tins into sculptural wall pieces using resin, pigments, and engraving, creating works that play with perception, materiality, and scale.
Ortaire de Coupigny has gained international recognition through exhibitions across Europe and beyond, with a notable milestone being his selection for the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (London, 2008). His works have been shown at major art fairs in Brussels, Stockholm, Hamburg, Hong Kong, New York, and Miami, and are also installed in public and private spaces, including the Delta Sky Club Lounge at Boston Logan Airport.
Ortaire de Coupigny has cultivated a distinctive practice that bridges the boundaries of painting and sculpture. Trained at the Fine Art Schools of Normandy from 1991 to 1995 and later at the Ateliers d’Art de la Ville de Paris, Ortaire honed his skills in diverse mediums, including stained glass. This early training deeply influenced his artistic approach, with transparency emerging as a central theme throughout his career.
Selected works by Ortaire de Coupigny are presented below.
Selected Works
Ortaire de Coupigny : Sardine-can series
In his Iconic sardine-can series, transparency is both literal and metaphorical. The epoxy encasing his vibrant fish references the delicate interplay of light and depth reminiscent of stained glass. The sardine cans are transformed into intricate frames for the artist’s exploration of form, colour, and texture. The vibrant, hyperreal fish appear suspended in time, creating a striking juxtaposition between the ephemeral beauty of nature and the permanence of the medium.
By situating his sardine-can series within the broader context of art history, Coupigny’s work engages with elements of assemblage, Pop Art, postmodern surrealism, and contemporary collectible design. His sardine cans collapse the boundaries between sculpture, painting, and engraving, transforming everyday materials into objects of contemplation. Each piece balances industrial precision with artistic intervention, creating sculptural objects that also function as pictorial spaces, where transparency and materiality play a central role.
Dialogue for video showing the artist’s work methods
In the video next to (with English subtitles), Ortaire de Coupigny explains his unique technique that combines elements of sculpture, painting, and engraving. His technique, developed over the years, was initially influenced by his early training in stained glass, with transparency being one of the central themes in his artistic work.
This focus on transparency is also a prominent theme in his work with sardine cans and his engravings. Another evident theme is the representation of animals, and his humour often conceals a reflection on how to portray the place of animals in our modern society.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ortaire de Coupigny
Who is Ortaire de Coupigny?
Ortaire de Coupigny is a French artist known for his distinctive sculptural and painterly works, particularly his internationally exhibited sardine-can series. He combines engraving, painting, and sculpture in a unique artistic language that explores themes of transparency, humor, and materiality.
Where can I buy artworks by Ortaire de Coupigny?
Original artworks by Ortaire de Coupigny are available at Art San Gallery. You can explore his collection on our online gallery or visit us in Gujo Hachiman, Japan.
What materials does Ortaire de Coupigny use in his art?
His works feature a rich combination of materials including metal, aluminum, wax, pigments, resin, and wood. The sardine-can series often showcases sculpted fish set in translucent resin with engraved surfaces and vibrant color contrasts.
Has Ortaire de Coupigny exhibited internationally?
Yes. Ortaire de Coupigny has shown his works in exhibitions and art fairs across Europe, North America, and Australia. A major highlight includes his participation in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London. His work is also featured at the Delta Sky Club Lounge in Boston Logan Airport.