Philippe Bertho

Born in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, Philippe Bertho trained at a school of decorative painting in Reims. Diploma in hand, he became a decorative painter, working for private clients, town councils and shops; decorative painting schools in Paris and across France called on his skills.

The wish to change direction led him to a more personal style, close to illustration. A New York gallerist then offered him a contract: for more than twelve years, his paintings have been shown in major American cities.

In his latest works, painted in acrylic on canvas, Philippe Bertho seeks to draw out of reality something that might not come from it. For him, reality is not self-evident: looked at closely, it reveals its strange, slightly crazy, sometimes absurd underside.