Charles Leval

His work

Emergency exit

Charles Leval (Épinal, France, 1988)

2025, France

Acrylic on wood, set of book covers, 225 x 225 cm.

Charles Leval's practice places the human figure in decontextualised scenes through humour and irony. A closed gate and the colour red function as symbolic language, while the figure, with an ambiguous expression, generates psychological tension and a suspended temporal dimension. The setting of books and encyclopaedias symbolises knowledge. The work is part of the curatorial core Symbolic and metaphorical imaginaries. Through strategies typical of symbolism, such as the condensation of meaning and the non-naturalistic use of colour, Leval transforms the everyday into a poetic and critical imaginary. With this piece, he invites the viewer to project their own interpretations, thus taking part in the construction of the narrative.

The perspective it brings to the collection:

The inclusion of Charles Leval in the collection is based on the critical, poetic and symbolic dimension of his work, as well as on the use of the absurd and irony as tools for reflection. He combines mixed techniques and expresses himself through a distinctive visual language, with a singular realism, creating works conceived as spaces open to multiple interpretations. In this way, the viewer is invited to build their own reading of it and to take an active part in the meaning of the work.