Listen to me carefully, you bunch of snobs, let me tell you about Justin Weiler (born in 1990 in Paris), the artist who shakes up conventions with the delicacy of a surgeon and the precision of a sniper. While some are still marveling at their Monet posters bought in Giverny, this young French prodigy is redefining the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and photography with a mastery that would make the greatest masters of chiaroscuro weep with jealousy.
Weiler is forging his path with the obstinacy of a Zen monk and the rigor of a mathematician, and his work on black, color, and light is not a mere stylistic exercise to impress the gallery—it’s a metaphysical exploration that would have fascinated Heidegger himself. Because yes, my dear snobbish friends who still confuse the works of Clyfford Still with those of Theodoros Stamos after three glasses of champagne, art can be profound without being pretentious.
Our first meeting took place on October 12, 2013, in Nantes, during a reception organized for the final-year students of the Fine Arts. Then a simple student in his penultimate year, he had skillfully slipped among his elders. This 23-year-old young man convinced me to leave the cocktail and the social events to discover his oil paintings, carefully hidden behind the amphitheater. Despite a style still under construction, his talent immediately revealed itself as evident. This chance encounter would mark the beginning of attentive monitoring of his artistic evolution, a privileged witness to the emergence of a unique voice in contemporary art.
The Genesis of a Singular Approach
Justin Weiler’s journey is distinguished by remarkable coherence since his early years of study. Graduated from the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Nantes and then from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, he has developed a rigorous approach to artistic practice that continues to refine. His work, initially anchored in traditional painting, has gradually evolved toward a more complex form of expression, where the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and installation blur.
This evolution is not the result of chance but the outcome of methodical and obstinate research. From the outset, Justin Weiler has shown a particular interest in questions of perception and light. His first experiments with Chinese ink on glass marked a decisive turning point in his practice. This technique, which he has perfected over the years, became his artistic signature, a unique means of expression that allows him to explore the limits between visible and invisible, between materiality and immateriality.
The question of the intermediate space, which would become central in his work, finds its roots in these early explorations. The artist develops a particular sensitivity to zones of transition, those ambiguous spaces that are neither quite inside nor quite outside. This concern initially manifests in his attention to urban architectural elements: shop windows, blinds, metal shutters, greenhouses. These elements, often neglected in our daily lives, become under his gaze supports for reflection on the very nature of our perception of space.
Space as Primary Material
His approach to space constitutes one of the most innovative aspects of his work. For him, space is not simply a container in which his works are placed but becomes a true raw material, malleable and expressive. This conception manifests particularly in his way of treating transparent surfaces, notably glass, which he transforms into active interfaces between different levels of reality.
His work on shop windows perfectly illustrates this approach. These architectural elements, which in our daily lives serve as simple separators between interior and exterior, become under his treatment complex devices that question our relationship to space. Through the meticulous application of layers of Chinese ink or paint, he creates surfaces that are no longer mere physical barriers but zones of dialogue between different states of matter and light.
This manipulation of space also extends to his monumental installations, where he manages to radically transform the perception of exhibition spaces. His interventions do not merely occupy the space; they reshape it, creating immersive environments that engage the spectator in a complex sensory experience. The plays of transparency and reflection he sets up generate ambiguous spaces where the boundary between real and virtual becomes blurred.
Light as Medium
Light occupies a central place in Justin Weiler’s work, but his approach radically differs from previous pictorial traditions. Rather than representing light, he works with it as a true artistic medium. This approach is part of a lineage of artists who, since the experiments of the Light and Space Movement, have sought to make light not a subject but a material.
His technical mastery allows him to create works that interact subtly and complexly with light. Through a meticulous process of layering ink or paint on glass, he creates surfaces that capture, transform, and redistribute light in a unique way. Each work thus becomes a sophisticated optical device that modifies our perception of the surrounding space.
This use of light as a medium manifests particularly in his “Screen” series, where variations of black or color create striking depth effects. The surfaces he creates do not merely reflect light; they absorb and transform it, generating optical effects that vary according to the viewing angle and lighting conditions. This performative dimension of light gives his works a particular presence, transforming them into true instruments of perception.
The use of black by Justin Weiler constitutes one of the most fascinating aspects of his work. Far from using it as a simple color or an absence of light, he makes it a true territory of exploration. His black, obtained by the accumulation of layers of Chinese ink, reveals a richness of nuances that defies our usual perception of this color.
This approach to black is part of an artistic tradition that includes figures like Pierre Soulages, whom I knew well, but Weiler profoundly renews its use. His black is not an opaque surface that reflects light but a space of depth that seems to absorb the gaze while keeping it on the surface. This tension between depth and surface creates a unique visual experience that characterizes his entire work.
By precise control of the density and transparency of ink layers, he manages to create subtle variations that transform black into a living space, in perpetual mutation according to the viewing angle and lighting conditions. This technical mastery allows the creation of works that, although monochrome, reveal extraordinary visual richness.
A Practice in Constant Evolution
Since our first meeting in 2013, Justin Weiler’s work has continually evolved while maintaining remarkable coherence. This evolution is characterized by a constant deepening of his initial research rather than radical breaks. Each new series, each new installation seems to flow naturally from the previous ones while bringing new elements of reflection.
His approach to artistic creation is distinguished by uncommon methodological rigor. Each work is the result of a precise protocol, developed and refined over the years. This method of work, far from being constraining, allows him to systematically explore the possibilities of his materials and techniques.
His work requires extraordinary concentration and precision, each gesture needing to be perfectly mastered to achieve the desired effects. This physical dimension, which involves a form of bodily performance, is often neglected in analyses of his work.
His studio is a true laboratory where he constantly experiments with new techniques and approaches. This experimental dimension, combined with his methodological rigor, allows him to continually push the limits of his practice while maintaining remarkable coherence.
The importance he gives to the creation process is reflected in the final quality of his works. Each piece bears the trace of this total commitment, of this constant search for technical perfection in the service of a clear artistic vision.
The Latin term “Operire” (to cover, to recover, to hide, to conceal) that he has chosen as a guiding thread perfectly summarizes his approach. This concept, simple yet rich in meaning, guides his entire production, from the earliest experiments to the most recent colorful realizations. It reflects both the technical process of layering and the conceptual dimension of his work on visibility and invisibility.
Impact on Contemporary Art
The work of Justin Weiler is part of a tradition of research on perception and materiality while making a unique contribution to the contemporary debate on the nature of image and space. His practice, which blurs the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and installation, participates in the renewal of traditional artistic forms.
His work stands out in the contemporary art landscape by its refusal of the spectacular and its focus on perceptual experience. In an art world often dominated by sensationalism and immediacy, he offers a more subtle and profound approach that invites contemplation and reflection.
His ability to create works that transform our perception of space opens up new perspectives.
Beyond its formal and technical aspects, Justin Weiler’s work raises fundamental philosophical questions about the nature of perception and reality. His work on intermediate spaces can be read as a metaphor for our relationship to the world, always mediated by physical and conceptual filters.
His way of treating transparency and opacity resonates with contemporary concerns about visibility and invisibility in our society. The surfaces he creates, which both reveal and conceal, can be seen as commentaries on the ambiguous nature of our relationship to image and truth.
The contemplative dimension of his work, particularly present in his contemporary vanities, invites reflection on time and finitude. These works, which combine great technical mastery with deep sensitivity, remind us of the fragility of existence and the beauty of the transient.
Institutional Recognition
The institutional recognition of Weiler’s work has been built gradually but surely. His residencies at the Casa Velázquez in Madrid and his exhibitions in prestigious institutions testify to the growing interest his work arouses in the art world. This recognition is not limited to the gallery circuit but extends to public institutions that have begun to acquire his works for their permanent collections.
The entry of his works into public collections marks an important step in his career. The Musée d’Arts de Nantes, the FRAC Pays de la Loire, and more recently the Mobilier National for the Palais de l’Élysée have acquired his creations, thus confirming the relevance and quality of his work. These institutional acquisitions testify not only to the artistic value of his work but also to his ability to inscribe himself in the contemporary cultural heritage.
The awards and distinctions he has received punctuate his journey: the Visual Arts Prize of the City of Nantes in 2016, a mention from the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Paris for the Pierre David-Weill Prize in 2018, not to mention his Beaux-Arts de Paris / Société Générale Collection Prize in 2021. These successive recognitions confirm the relevance of his artistic approach and his importance in the contemporary art scene.
The influence of Weiler’s work now far exceeds French borders. His international exhibitions, notably in Spain, Luxembourg, and more recently in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and New York within the framework of the YSL (Yves Saint-Laurent) project, testify to the universality of his artistic language. His ability to transcend cultural boundaries while maintaining the uniqueness of his approach is particularly remarkable.
His way of rethinking the limits between painting, sculpture, and installation opens up new perspectives. His rigorous and methodical approach to artistic creation offers an innovative and alternative artistic model.
A Legacy in Construction
One of the strengths of Justin Weiler’s work lies in his ability to create works that engage the spectator in a unique perceptual experience. His installations, in particular, create immersive environments that transform our relationship to space and light. This experiential dimension of his work contributes to its positive reception by a varied audience.
The subtlety of his works, which reveal themselves progressively to the attentive gaze, encourages a form of active contemplation. This invitation to slowness and meticulous observation contrasts with the accelerated pace of our time, offering an artistic experience that favors depth over immediacy.
Although relatively young in his career, Justin Weiler is building a significant artistic legacy. His contribution to the renewal of contemporary pictorial practices marks an important moment in the art history of the early 21st century.
The coherence of his work, from our first meetings in 2013 to his most recent colorful realizations, testifies to a clear and solid artistic vision. His latest series on the chromatic sequence is a masterpiece of our time. Each panel is a window onto infinity, an exploration of the infinite possibilities of color. It’s as if Goethe and Merleau-Ponty had collaborated on a contemporary art installation. Weiler reminds us that the true revolution is silent. It plays out in the details, in the nuances, in those moments of grace where matter transcends its own nature to become pure poetry.
Justin Weiler is the artist our era needs. In a world saturated with empty images and strong sensations, he offers us an experience of slowness, depth, contemplation. It’s an act of resistance as much as an artistic gesture.
His technique is impeccable, but that’s not what really matters. What counts is his ability to create spaces of freedom in a world of constraints, moments of grace in a mechanical daily life. That’s the real power of art.
So yes, you can walk past his works shrugging your shoulders. You can prefer the latest trends in digital art or flashy installations that make a buzz on Instagram. But you would be missing out on something rare and precious—a artist who has something to say and knows how to say it.
Justin Weiler is a painter for our time—not because he follows trends, but because he transcends them. His work reminds us that art can still move us, transform us, elevate us. In a world drowning in the superficial, that’s perhaps the greatest of miracles.
He is not just painting—he is writing a new chapter in the history of art. And we have the chance to witness it. So open your eyes, take your time, and let yourself be overwhelmed. Justin Weiler’s art is just waiting for that.
