Can you introduce yourself quickly?
Wen 2, street artist from Brest: “My name is Gwendal Huet, I am 47 years old and I am from Brest. Under the name Wen2, I am a street artist. For four years, I have lived exclusively from my painting. Since I was little, I have had a passion for drawing. As a teenager, I became interested in graffiti and everything related to urban culture: basketball, rap and skateboarding, of which I still have some after-effects. So I started doing spray lettering on the walls of the port of Brest. My artist name dates from that time. »
How could you define your style?
“From graffiti, I developed a personal universe, an identity. I think, for example, that I am identified today through these levitating worlds that we see in my paintings. Today, I can still do graffiti, but it's increasingly rare because painting has become my job and I'm in demand a lot. Now, I work more in the studio: oil painting, acrylic or watercolor. However, there may still be some bomb touches. As for digital, I also use it a little, particularly for sketching on the iPad.”
What remains of your graffiti period?
“I am still in the representation of an urban universe. It’s still the city we see. Certainly, I also have a series on lighthouses. But, even on these buildings, we can see tags. In short, an urban atmosphere still persists. Furthermore, if there are no humans in my paintings, their presence is suggested: there is light in the window and the chimney is smoking.”
Where does your taste for buildings and constructions come from?
“After a baccalaureate in applied arts, I took a BTS in interior architecture. Then I worked for twenty years in a town planning company. It's true that I like drawing architecture. It’s an inexhaustible subject. Recently I went to Italy. We really find some material there. Furthermore, there are lighthouses all over the world. My series dedicated to them is therefore infinite.”
What are you presenting to Landerneau?
“There are around thirty works, mainly reproductions, that I have created since 2018. There is even an original representing Landerneau, the only piece that is not for sale. Because, for the rest, you can leave the gallery with a postcard for €5, a small format for €20, or with the other original from the exhibition, a representation of the Café du port de Brest (€7,500 ). »
Practical
Exhibition by Wen2 until January 19 at the associative gallery L'Urbatypik, 4, rue Lafayette in Landerneau. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. FREE ENTRANCE.
