Jean-François began his artistic career at the age of 18 by illustrating books of high bibliophily, taking over the illustrations of the Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry and then illustrating poetic works of Persian and French literature of the 11th - 13th century for renowned Parisian art publishers. Thanks to his exceptional talent, these precious books were acclaimed by collectors. A copy of each book is kept at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
His passion for painting developed at an early age. Self-taught and coached for a time by a restorer from the Louvre Museum, he mastered his art by studying the techniques and works of the Masters of the past, and in particular those of Johannes Vermeer. His copies of the works of the great Flemish master are remarkably faithful to the originals. Some have been acquired by American collectors.
His original artwork covers a wide range of subjects such as portraits, figures, symbolic compositions, landscapes or still life, in watercolor, oil or drawing.
His work has been exhibited in Paris, Antibes, Nice, Cannes, Monaco, Geneva, Boston, Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria (Canada), and is held by collectors in Europe (London, Paris, Nice, Geneva, Munich, Brussels) and America (New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria). He has been awarded several prizes in Monaco, Paris, and Ottawa.
His murals have decorated the Deux Fontaines wing of the prestigious five-star Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the French Riviera.
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1973 Gold medal & Public Prize - Salon des peintres de la Côte d'Azur, Palais des expositions, Nice (FR)
Exhibition at the International Book Fair, Nice (France)
Illustration: "Robayat" by Omar Khayyam, Éditions d'art Pierre de Tartas, Paris
1975 Group exhibition of contemporary art, Cotray (France)
1976 Public prize - International art competition, Monaco
Exhibition at the International Book Fair, Nice (France)
Solo exhibition - Helland Gallery, Mougins (Cannes, France)
1977 Solo exhibition, Motte Gallery, Geneva (Switzerland)
1979 Solo exhibition, Musée du Bastion St-André, Antibes (France)
Gallery Morel, Antibes (France)
1980 Solo exhibition, Hotel Eden Rock, Cap d'Antibes (France)
Illustration: "Le roman de la rose" - Vol.I, Éditions d'Art -Éditions de l'Ibis, Paris
1981 Illustration: "Le roman de la rose" - Vol.II, Éditions d'Art - Éditions de l'Ibis, Paris
1982-83 Illustration: "Le voyage de Charlemagne à Jérusalem et Constantinople", Éditions d'Art - Éditions de l'Ibis, Paris
1984-85 Illustration: "La chanson de Roland", Éditions d'Art - Éditions de l'Ibis, Paris
1988 Exhibition, Salon d'Art Mystique, Cannes (France)
1990 Exhibition, Sudbury, MA (USA)
1992 First prize in oil painting, second prize in watercolor, ArtEast Art Exhibition, Ottawa, Canada
1995 Conference and exhibition: "At the tip of the brush, image of the family in the mirror of time", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (Canada)
1996 Lecture and exhibition: "Johannes Vermeer, Jewel of the Dutch Golden Age", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (Canada)
1998 Founding member, International Society of Portrait, Washington DC (USA)
1999 Salon des Indépendants, Paris
2005 Publication in the "International Artist" Magazine
2008 Sidney Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada
2014 Howe Street Gallery of Fine Art, Vancouver B.C., Canada
2015 Sidney Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada
2016 Sooke Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada
2017 Sooke Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada
Sidney Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada
2018 Sidney Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada
2019 Sidney Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada
2022 Sooke Fine Art Show, B.C., Canada