Ivan Le Pays

Born in Nantes in 1992, Ivan Le Pays lives and works in Paris. Studying Chinese for 7 years, he got initiated into calligraphy. Just like the ideograms, the line became a language that allowed him to articulate his geometric vision of the world.

In 2014, his attraction to megalopolises took shape when he attended the Shanghai University of Fine Arts for a Master's in Anthropology and Design. While there, he organized several collective exhibitions in transitional spaces (a building under construction, a hotel lobby, an empty apartment).

His engagement in tattooing also enables him to juxtapose architectural forms with those of the body, where the rigid lines of the city morph into sensual curves on the skin.

Returning from China in 2016, he settled in Paris to work alongside designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Simultaneously, he ventured into self-publishing with two works: "Tatouage Sauvage" (128 pages) and "Tattoo Postcard" (320 pages), where he presents his tattooing experiences.

Transitioning from industrial design to the art world, from calligraphy to tattooing, from photography to drawing, Ivan Le Pays continues a creative process expressed across various media, using the line as the cornerstone of his work.

He currently resides at Ateliers Wonder/Fortin in Clichy.