Francis Eck was born on August 7th 1949 in Dannemarie in Alsace. Enraptured with nature from his earliest childhood, he spent all his free time alone in the fields and the forest, dreaming and observing animals, which he later reproduced in watercolour. Every year, during the school holidays, he went to Dunkirk and there he discovered another element that fascinated him, the sea… He was accepted for CREPS in Boulouris when he was 18 years old and graduated with a diploma from the National Education board.
He practiced as a physical education instructor in his native country for 15 years or so until his insatiable desire for some sun and turquoise water prompted him to ask for a transfer to St. Barthélemy and then Guadeloupe. During this period he started to express his love for nature more and more through painting. Alone in front of his canvas, he found himself plunging back into that happy state of solitude he remembered from his childhood. Shortly thereafter he gave up his activity with the education board and dedicated himself entirely to painting.
A combination of circumstances brought him to Saint Martin where he decided to live, but frequent trips away were necessary to inspire and renew his creative force. His sources of inspiration, which are still nature and the sea, enable him to advance gently towards the very essence of his subject. As he refines the work reality and abstraction merge, and the painting, nurtured from exterior elements, no longer exists by itself.
A few exhibitions
- World Wide Art Fair – Los Angeles
Galerie Royale – Rochefort
Foire d’Art Contemporain – Toulouse - Galerie Keiflin – Mulhouse
- Centro de Arte Vila Sol – Algarve – Portugal
- Galerie Modus – Paris
- Fondation Oriente – Macao – Chine
- Galerie Le Biblion – Toulouse – France
- Centre Culturel C. Peugeot – Paris
- Shanghai Art Expo – Chine
- Contemporary Art Fair – Hong Kong – Chine
- New York Independent Art Fair – USA
- Galerie Arte Sol – Solothurn – Suisse
- Art Innsbruck – Suisse
- China Art Expo – Pékin – Chine
- French May – Hong Kong – Chine
- Parkview Fine Paintings – Bristol – RU
- Galerie Artempo – Nouméa – Nouvelle Calédonie
- Brutton Street Gallery – Londres
- Musée Yomenanohana – Tokyo – Japon
- Europ’Art Genève – Suisse
- Art Expo New York
- Centre des Arts Guadeloupe
- Centre International d’ Art Contemporain – Genève – Suisse
- CIAC Strasbourg – France
- Salon d’ Enghien – Belgique
- Altstatt Galerie – Bern – Suisse
- Arte Sol – Moutiers – Suisse
- Fort Fleur d ‘ Epée & Centre Culturel Rémy Nainsouta – Pointe à Pitre – Guadeloupe … etc
A few distinctions and publications
- Grand Prix Rubens – Paris – France
- Mention d’honneur aux salons Europ’Art
- Dictionnaire des peintres Alsaciens.
- Médaille d’Or – Académie des Arts Contemporains -Enghien – Belgique
- 4ème prix de Peinture – Marseille – France
- Analyse picturale par François De Caunes – France
- RFO tourne et diffuse un film de 30mn
- Analyse picturale par Gérard Xuriguera – France
- Chaîne télévisée nationale -NHK- Emission culturelle – Tokyo – Japon
- Univers des Arts – Article rédigé par P. De Dival – France
- Akoun – Côte des peintres – Éditions ACA – France
- Côte officielle des peintres – Éditions Mayer – France
- Article rédigé par Dr Gautherie Kama – historienne d’ art – Munich Allemagne
- Dictionnaire des Peintres Français de la Mer et de la Marine – France
- Rencontre avec le Président J. Chirac (une toile rejoindra son musée)
- 1er prix de peinture – China Art Expo – Pékin – Chine
- Who’s who International Art – Genève – Suisse
- Dictionnaire Drouot Cotation – Larousse – Paris
- Caribbean Art Book – St Martin
- Un film, tourné par Th. Pierrard et G. Pelisson, a été diffusé par FR3 Alsace
Great Personaltities 