Étienne Cail (1991 - )
Biography
Étienne Cail is a French painter born in 1991.
Étienne Cail's painting is an invitation to plunge into a universe where intensity and emotional depth reign supreme.
Known for his striking portraits and figures shrouded in mystery, his work has long captured attention for its ability to capture the essence of his subjects.
Until 2019, Étienne Cail has been renowned for his portraits of Asian figures. These works, marked by an acute sensitivity, seduced by their depth and their ability to tell stories beyond appearances. The intensity of the painted glances testifies to a desire to reveal the soul of his subjects.
After such dazzling success, it was time for a break, a need to detach himself in order to rediscover himself. This voluntary retirement allowed Étienne to re-evaluate his artistic approach, to rediscover passion from a new angle. Five years of silence were the seedbed for a profound inner transformation.
Today, his palette has broadened, embracing new themes such as the female nude. Scenes come to life in the intimacy of his studio, where Caucasian faces now replace Asian features. This evolution marks a transition to a more peaceful expression, where the gaze, as intense as ever, is accompanied by a serene detachment, a reflection of artistic and personal maturity.
This journey towards simplicity is reflected in every brushstroke. Each canvas tells a story of celebrating the beauty found in details and quiet moments. Étienne Cail's painting is both a return to his roots and a bold exploration of new perspectives.
In short, Étienne Cail's work is an introspective and poetic voyage, a dance between the old and the new, where each painting is an open window on the human soul.
Selected artworks
Étienne Cail
Léopard, Atelier I
Oil on canvas signed and dated on the back Dimensions : 160 x 120 cm / 63 x 47.2 in. 2018
Étienne Cail
Valentina III
Oil on canvas signed and dated on the back Dimensions : 160 x 120 cm / 63 x 47.2 in. 2024
Étienne Cail
Nue aux oiseaux
Oil on canvas signed on the back Dimensions : 200 x 150 cm / 78.74 x 59 in. 2025
Main exhibitions (selection)
2025
Group show - Galerie Sarto -Paris
2018
Mazel Galerie, The great race, Singapour
Mazel Galerie, Flowers, Bruxelles
Galerie Prune Duclos, Peindre les oubliés, Paris
Mazel Galerie, Beirut Art Fair, Beyrouth, Liban
Mazel Galerie, Sealdah, Bruxelles
2014
Galerie RZG, Off Line, Cité de la mode et du design, Paris
22 Gallery, Etienne Cail / Yoann Merienne, Lyon
Asfap Gallery, 1830, Bruxelles
2017
Galerie Prune Duclos / Galerie Detais, Paris
Mazel Galerie, Orients, Bruxelles
Mazel Galerie, French touch, Singapour
Galerie Pruno Duclos, DOMUM, Lille
2016
Galerie Guido Romero Pierini, Fenêtre sur cour (en duoavec Pascal Vilcollet), Paris
Mazel Galerie, 50 ans après Walt..., Bruxelles
Mazel Galerie, St-Art Art Fair, Strasbourg
2015
22 Gallery, Nouvelle peinture narrative: le réel transfiguré, Lyon
Musée Delacroix, Effervescences - Jeunes artistes chez Delacroix, Paris
La lune en parachute /CENTRE D’ART, Invasions, Epinal
Galerie Hervé Lancelin, la Tentation de l’Orient, Luxembourg
2013
22 Gallery, Résonances - Biennale off d’art contemporain, Lyon
Prix & Résidences
2015
Révélation, Lille Art’up, Lille, France.
L’étoile, Vernou-sur-Brenne, France.
2014
Asfap Gallery - Bruxelles, Belgique.
2013
2nd Price - Paliss’art, La Source, La Guéroulde, France.
MUCEM, Performance, Marseille, France.
Presse
2017
KUNST+UNTERRICHT p. 81 (Allemagne), Décembre 2017, Erscheinungen vertauschen und Kulturen verbinden: Etienne Cail
MIROIR DE L'ART #80 (France), 18/02/2017, Regards sur l'Orient
EGO LA REVUE #36 p. 88-89 (France), 06/2017, Etienne Cail, peintre débridé
LE PROGRES Loire p. 42 (France), 06/07/2017, Etienne Cail peint l'Orient "avec une liberté énorme"
2016
L'ECONOMISTE (Maroc), 09/08/2016, Quand deux artistes français revisitent l'orientalisme LA VIE ECO (Maroc), 15/07/2016, Etienne Cail et Olivier Masmonteil, deux plasticiens à la rencontre du Maroc
LE 360 (Maroc), 03/06/2016, Deux peintres français en résidence artistique à Rabat
LA DEPECHE DU MAROC (Maroc), 09/06/2016, Face à face avec Etienne Cail
VH (Maroc), Juin 2016, Etienne Cail et Olivier Masmonteil, Résidence au Maroc
BEAUX ARTS MAGAZINE n°383 (France), 04/2016, Latentation de l’Orient
LE MATIN (Maroc), 24/08/2016, Etienne Cail et Olivier Masmonteil dévoilent leur "vue sur Tanger"
ACTUELLES (Maroc), 17/08/2016, Peintres des lumières
LA TRIBUNE (Maroc), 26/08/2016, "Vue sur Tanger"
LES ECO (Maroc), 01/09/2016, Un amour pictural du Maroc
2015
LE QUOTIDIEN (Luxembourg), 16/07/2015, Changer l’histoire de l’art
TAFMAG (France), 10/02/2015, Etienne Cail repeint ses classiques sous influence chinoise
2014
ART'S VICE (France), 07/2014, Etienne Cail et Yoann Merienne
ORANGE EXPO MUSÉES (France), 07/2014« Quoi mes gueules? »: Rencontre avec le peintre Etienne Cail
FOCUS (Belgique), 06/2014, Fort en gueules
ARTSPER (France), 05/2014, Rencontre avec un jeune talent Artsper
WEGOTALENT (France), 03/2014, Etienne Cail, Les gueules de l’empire du milieu
2013
DOMODECO n°43 (France), Nov./Dec. 2013, Etienne Cail, Empreinte affirmée
BOUM BANG! (France), 05/2013, Lorsque les grands classiques picturaux se brident les yeux et les sens
HOUHOUHAHA (France), 05/2013, Etienne Cail