The Calcutta Arts Club has brought French artist Thomas Henriot’s works in ink on paper Across The City to Chennai. Thomas Henriot has worldwide representation by galleries, and he lives among Rio de Janeiro, Havana and Paris. He is currently in India as part of the Calcutta Arts Club’s artist’s residency programme.

Thomas Henriot in front of his painting Benaras 2013
Thomas Henriot in front of his painting Benaras 2013

... For Thomas, the process is more important than the outcome and the freedom to work by improvising and experimentation. “I like it that I cannot always know the size of the paper and not all the panels match exactly.” He paints as we see the world, part views, never all at once. Unlike illustrative art where the story comes first, for Thomas it is “first drawing, then story”. Inks and rice paper are both long lasting media. Placing Japanese rice paper on surfaces, Thomas rubs an inked brush over to get various textures through. He always uses a brush, never a pencil, saying, “Ink becomes the paper.”