Artist Profile

Robert Combas

Robert Combas is a French painter and sculptor recognized as a leading figure of the Figuration Libre movement. His work is characterized by a raw, energetic style that draws heavily from popular culture, rock music, and comic books.

Biography

Born in Lyon, France, Robert Combas emerged as a prominent artist in the early 1980s. He is widely credited as one of the founders of the Figuration Libre movement, a French artistic trend that rejected the austerity of conceptual and minimalist art in favor of expressive, figurative painting.

His practice is defined by a vibrant, often chaotic aesthetic that incorporates bold colors, thick outlines, and recurring motifs inspired by street art, graffiti, and mass media. Combas frequently utilizes a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, and music-integrated installations, to create works that feel both spontaneous and deeply rooted in contemporary visual culture.

Combas continues to maintain a significant presence in the international art market, with his works appearing regularly in major European auction houses and exhibitions. His contributions to the development of contemporary French art remain a subject of sustained interest for collectors and institutions alike.

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From The Cultural Signal

Paris

Artcurial Post-War and Modern Art Auctions Total €9.1 Million in Paris

Artcurial auctions reached a total of €9,108,015. Nicolas de Staël’s 1949 work sold for €1,085,680. Rembrandt Bugatti’s Marabouts Centrepiece with six silver sculptures fetched €794,400.

Post-WarModernParisContemporary

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