Graduated from the Beaux Arts of Paris in 2000, Gaël Davrinche is interested in an “uneducated” expression of style that is spontaneous, without any tricks. He purposely borrows children styles and from early on, he seeks to reinterpret the works of greart masters, something between irreverence and tribute. Velasquez's "Meninas" and Vermeer's "Girl with pearl earring" or even Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" are revisited. A Leonardo Da Vinci tribute is paid through seven canvases. Yet they are desacralized. Mona Lisa is accompanied by words such as “SALE” or L.C.K.C.I.R. (phonetically "She left yesterday" in french), a nod to Marcel Duchamp. The artist explained, “By reworking these famous works, I am able to release myself from the subject, in order to not override the painting, to let itself play and treating it equally as a medium.”
In a decided and strong painter's move, Gaël Davrinche questions the portrait in its historical and social signification, its link with reality and imagination. Oscillating between being and appearances, the artist combines unexpected accessories with a portrait. Boxing gloves or peonies are used as hats leading to incongruous hence powerfull portraits. His works takes a strange turn that destabilizes us with the ubiquity of the object, furthermore, become an interrogation the role of each individual, attitude, and such.
Gaël Davrinche also surprises us with a series of huge paintings of faded flowers. Offering a metaphorical version of life the artist paints them as he paints portraits, transforming decay in revival.