BIO

Michel Testard’s work is a visual journey through a life of extensive travel, deep cultural engagement, and an artistic family heritage. Born in Tokyo in 1950 to a lineage of French artists, Testard’s early years between Japan, Vietnam and France were marked by a
fascination with the world, captured in childhood sketches of ships, animals, and daily life. This eclectic upbringing laid the foundation for his richly varied artistic practice.

Testard’s landscapes reflect his travels across India, Iceland, Antarctica and beyond. His Indian scenes, filled with vibrant colours and mythical elements, blend reality and fantasy, drawing influence from Gauguin and le Douanier Rousseau. His Icelandic landscapes, by
contrast, use a restrained palette to evoke the sublime vastness of the Nordic wilderness, recalling perhaps the Romantic tradition of Caspar David Friedrich. Goa holds a special place in Testard’s work as a bridge between his Western influences and immersion in Indian culture. His series captures the fusion of Portuguese and Indian aesthetics, creating a cultural tapestry that reflects Testard’s deep engagement with the region. Goa becomes a microcosm of his broader artistic project—a place where East meets West, history meets fantasy, and place merges with personal reflection. The people of India are central to Testard’s art. His portraits of villagers, Brahmins, and everyday figures, such as "Orissa, Brahmin after a puja," reveal an empathetic approach, capturing their dignity and spirituality. His “Vaishnavi Sadhu” series portrays spiritual figures with intense, dark backgrounds, showing Testard’s nuanced understanding of India’s spiritual life. Music, especially Indian classical music, is another thematic layer. Inspired by Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar (The Music Room), Testard created a series dedicated to the sitar and the reverence for music in India. His cubist-inspired Sitarist series captures the meditative intensity of Indian raga performances, reflecting Testard’s personal experience as a sitar student. Spirituality, with India’s rich traditions and symbols, permeates Testard’s work. His depictions of deities, gurus, and yogis blend realism with fantasy, inviting viewers to contemplate India’s spiritual landscape. In Yogi Gurukul in the Jungle, yogis, nymphs, and animals coexist in peaceful harmony, capturing India’s mythic energy.

Testard’s influences span a broad spectrum of modern art, from Gauguin’s exotic subjects to Hopper’s urban solitude, Matisse’s “rooms with a view,” and Friedrich’s Romantic landscapes. His work combines these influences into a personal, cross-cultural style that merges Impressionist and Romantic sensibilities with India’s vibrant diversity. Testard’s originality lies in this blend of East and West, reality and fantasy, creating a body of work that reflects a life dedicated to cultural exploration and the beauty of seeing the world through a wandering, reflective lens.