Biography | Richard MERIC :: Surrealism Visual Arts

Richard Méric's paintings are like books, they have to be read.

Artist Statement

Now and then, Richard Méric's goal is to track the greatest mystery of the created world: the double nature of all things. So, one should not be astonished to find the traces of this search in the majority of his pictures, in which the Masculine and the Feminine figures are reconciled or clashed, the top and bottom, the inside and the outside merge, the heat and the cold being harmonized despite the violence of the primary colours which he uses, at the pure state. If one adds to that a very marked leaning for wild nature and an unquestionable misanthropy, one will understand that his public life and his celebrity were reduced to their simpler expression. But be sure that Richard Méric is communicating with us, with our subconscious maybe too. His main concern is to send clear and pleasant messages for the soul, bring positive feelings to his human fellows. Richard defines his style as Narrative Hyper-Surrealism; a modern painting using a classical technique, inspired by Breuguel, H.Bosch, M.C Escher and Salvador Dali.

Artist Biography

Richard Méric was born in Marseilles (F) in March 1948. After two years of studies of Philosophy (1966-68), Ric travels through the European continent. He also goes twice to India overland, mostly for the interest of the trip itself. He writes numerous newspaper articles, as well as two stage plays performed at the Festival d’Avignon (F). In 1978, while staying in a cave on the Canary Island, he creates his first drawing "Salvador DALI, doubly reversible portrait" starting from a tiny photograph of the Master. Back to France, he starts his pictorial activity learning by him-self the classical technique of oil painting thanks to books. As he studies the old masters works, he begins to study Freud's and Jung's Psychology. Richard explores the esoteric traditions and realizes a long diving in speculative Alchemy and oriental philosophy.

During 8 years, Richard Méric paints without showing his work. He lives in the country side in south of France, leading a life which allows him to dedicate most of his time to painting. Richard Méric produces not only quality work but also quantity: medium and large size paintings, triptych such as the astonishing "Les Jardins de la mémoire" ("The gardens of memory"), conceived from 1979 to 1983, incontestably his closest homage to H.Bosch, the famous Dutch painter. Among other, he conceives his own Tarot cards, based on his Alchemy studies: he painted the 21 (+1) Tarot Major arcanas with oil on canvas. Many years later, he completed the whole series of Tarot cards, conceiving the Minor Tarot cards on computer. Richard describes his work as a modern painting using a classical technique, inspired by Breuguel, H.Bosch, M.C Escher and Salvador Dalí.

When Richard finally shows his artworks to the world, the art lovers immediately recognized the value of his work. In 1988, he meets a German business man from Hamburg who becomes his agent. He introduces him to a circle of art collectors. Along the years his agent acquires various paintings until owning an impressive collection.

The artist stops his painting production from 1994 to 1999 to spend 5 years writing an essay about psychology and types of personality, based on years of researches. The essay is for now available in French.

At the beginning of the years 2000, he realizes huge murals in Hotels in Germany, along with the visual artist Sylvie Chadourne. After coming back to live in south of Spain in 2004, Richard went though a new creative periode. He produces a new kind of digital art combining abstract and figurative style. Richard Méric has done very few exhibitions, although most of his paintings have been sold to private collectors. His paintings has been digitally treated and can be reproduced at any size and on any kind of support.

Nowadays, Ric keeps on following his inspiration through diverse artistic expressions, such as writing and music composing.

Education and Exhibitions

Languages spoken: French, Spanish, English, some German and Russian

Studies & Degrees:
1966: Baccalaureate of “Letters and Philosophy” - College Pierre Puget (Marseille)
1966-1968: Two years of studies of Philosophy – University of Aix-en-Provence

List of solo exhibitions:
- San Raphaël (France) - Contest winner 2nd place
- Manosque (France)
- Bordeaux (France) under the aegis of Mr. Chabamdelmas - 1985
- Marbella (Spain) - Llamas Gallery - 1987
- Hamburg (Germany) - Momo Gallery - 1988
- Antibes (France) - Marché des Arts - 1986 - 1989
- Marbella (Spain) - Chico Gallery - 1990
- Hohenlockstedt (Germany) Retrospective at the Town Hall - 1991
- Cannes (France) - Kiosque des Arts - 1994
- Hamburg (Germany) - Reese Gallery - 2000
- Neümunster (Germany) - Requardt Gallery - 2002
- Cannes (France) - Kiosque des Arts - 2003
- 1st International Art Festival of Marbella - 2009