Exhibition of paintings Forge des Mers by Jean-François Hérelle

Jean-François Hérelle was born in 1960. His childhood was marked by his parents' overseas travels. From this period, tinged with melancholy due to the distance, he retained a particular sensitivity that feeds his inspiration. Drawing was his refuge, and his assiduous practice led him to study architecture.
His travels allowed him to practise sketching from life. Maritime atmospheres fuel his inspiration; he finds in them an emotion that makes him want to reveal the beauty of unexpected forms and places.

Jean-François Hérelle has always been captivated by the monumental beauty of the shipyards of La Ciotat, where human ingenuity meets the power of the elements.
Ports, cargo ships, and maritime and industrial atmospheres have always inspired his work. The emotion he feels each time he visits has inspired him to capture some of the history of this visually striking site in his paintings.
This exhibition, Forge des Mers, is a modest attempt to bring the memory of this exceptional place to life and pays tribute to those who participated in the complex task of building large ships, right up to their spectacular launch.
His work was based on documents provided by the municipal archives and photographic reports by Louis Sciarli, who was one of the main figures involved in preserving the memory of the construction site.
He invites you to share with him some memories of a bygone era, steeped in emotion.

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