JOEL RICHARD
‘WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY NOW’
PORTRAIT SERIES
About JoelJoël Richard is a French-born contemporary painter based in North Bondi, Sydney. Working primarily with oils, his expressive practice blends figuration and abstraction to explore human emotion, movement, and the relationship between people and place. Originally working in black-and-white film photography, Joël transitioned to painting in 2020, developing a distinct visual language defined by gestural mark-making, textured surfaces, and carefully mixed colour palettes.
Influenced by Basque culture and the raw landscapes of Australia, his works often depict figures in suspended or dramatic poses, creating compositions that feel dynamic, theatrical, and emotionally charged. Joël has held solo exhibitions including If You Leave Can I Come at COMA, Sydney (2024) and Sense of Guilt at Room 205, Sydney (2022), and was a finalist in the Soho Art Prize (2024).
Artist Statement
“ Exploring life transitions changes and growth while witnessing of a unique way of life. Encapsulating the desire for understanding the present and the inevitability of farewells. Each painting narrates something, someone cherished, a story or a moment, a place emphasizing the bittersweet realization hat, in time, it will depart, leading to the unknown - whether for the better, the worse, or the same? This visual narrative delves into emotions attached to the unknown, from excitement to abandonment, tragedy, melancholies to self-reflection, presenting it as a doorway to new possibilities. The impact of my surroundings resonates deeply in this series throughout colours and textures added to my own perspective, offering viewers an invitation to contemplate the beauty of the present and uncertainty in life journey. Through this collection, I aim to evoke introspection and question the ephemeral nature of existence.”- Joël Richard, 2024,
(from his works in FRONTIERS)
