Rocco Ritchie, son of Madonna, but not only…

“The paintings that make up this exhibition reinterpret this principle of separation and/or fusion between the personal and the public. The artist’s use of a highly personal palette creates a timeless quality, with the works existing simultaneously in the past and present.

These words are those of the famous fashion designer Giorgio Armani shared on his Instagram account. They attempt to describe the exhibition of Rocco Ritchie’s works that he is sponsoring. This painter who presents them under the title The Tourist is none other than the son of singer Madonna, born in 2000 from her marriage to British producer Guy Ritchie.

Giorgio Armani is committed to supporting, promoting and giving visibility to his work, as he has always done with emerging creative talents, whether they are passionate about fashion, cinema or any artistic discipline and come from whole world. By taking this path, the famous couturier specified: “In many fields, there are young talents who must be encouraged and supported. I think this is a duty. »

Madonna, a mother in her own way, encouraging her son Rocco in his artistic choices. Photo taken from the Instagram account @roccoritchie

Queen Madonna

At the opening, and as expected, Madonna arrived in Paris creating a buzz, once again, with an outfit reminding us that the star has lost none of her glamor: a transparent black dress worn over a simple bodysuit and, under a long black leather coat. The Queen of Pop (66) also sported a long jacket adorned with a stunning fur collar and matching cuffed sleeves. The Material Girl completed her outfit by layering gold necklaces and opted for a pair of dark sunglasses.

In the shadow of this colorful and scandalous character, Rocco Ritchie (24 years old) clearly had difficulty forging his own artistic identity. Today, he is setting off to conquer Paris where he has been exhibiting a selection of his paintings since October 26 in a gallery located at 78 rue du Temple. Also, to avoid being dependent on parental celebrity, he chose to use a pseudonym, Rhed, on his paintings. The young painter explains his choice of using this nickname: “I am proud of what I am and where I come from, but I know that people would have judged me aggressively when I started if I had revealed my name. »

Born in Los Angeles in 2000, Rocco Ritchie is considered a promising artist of his generation. He studied at Central Saint Martins School and the Royal Drawing School in London, where he currently lives and works. In a new series, the young man has expanded his exploration of the human figure, drawing inspiration from the great tradition of British painters who preceded him, including Lucian Freud, Paula Rego and Francis Bacon. To his credit previously, the exhibition entitled Lovers and Ennemies took portraits of her friends and family. It was organized by David Dawson, former director of Lucien Freud’s studio. Rocco grew up surrounded by the creative energy embodied in him by his parents, Madonna and Guy Ritchie. His creations are included in the personal collections of Stella McCartney, Donatella Versace and Lorcan O’Neill. They are also found in prestigious media such as Vogue, Forbes et Artnet News.

These paintings reinterpret the principle of separation and/or fusion between the personal and the public. Photo taken from the Instagram account @roccoritchie

Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon, inspirations

His latest work presented in Paris is described by the Say Who website as follows: “The paintings in this exhibition are created from a mixture of chance and intention, combining personal and public archive photographs of life. of the artist, whose childhood was widely documented. The artist questions in particular the role of paparazzi photography which was one of the great witnesses of his life. From Richard Hamilton, Gerhard Richter, William Klein to Andy Warhol, artists have constantly sought to immortalize ephemeral images from mass media. »

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In a video posted on his Instagram account he plays the guide and presents his paintings. All are bathed in a bluish atmosphere charged with anxiety surrounding characters in tension. His inspiration is not far from the inspiration of the models with tense bodies and minds of the British painter Lucien Freud. His talent was recognized by his peers including the writer and Art critic Godfrey Barker, who called him “an authentic, pure and undiluted product of the 21st century.” Rhed should not yet be classified among the “Golden Youth”, these young painters who shook up the famous Frieze Art Fair in London in 1988. But, he is in their vein. He makes a powerful statement in his works and he pointed to the future.” The art critic of GuardianJonathan Jones, was less enthusiastic, suggesting that “the artist had been put in the public eye too soon”.

This work, which is a form of liberation from a childhood where the paparazzi were present at every moment, also confirms the talent of Rocco Richie, an assertive brushstroke in a classic vein and a sobriety, a maturity which astonishes. Richie, sponsored by Armani, in a very “fashionable” communication, ultimately shows the two aspects of the character, the fruit of parents who are present to say the least.

These young artists from “Rich and Famous” parents (whether or not they remain anonymous) can only raise question marks. As proof, a painting named Strand Ed and bearing Rhed’s signature, was offered in 2021 on the Artsy site for the sum of 24,000 pounds sterling.