C215 is Christian Guémy. A street artist often compared to Banksy because of his practice. The temporary exhibition “Athletes” at the National Sports Museum traces a journey he has embarked on for a year and a half now. Portraits of champions, but “not just the glorification of the athlete.”
Plenty of studies, and a lot of passion, too. Behind the street artist is a studious man with a master’s degree, who left his job in marketing. A path not so obvious, except for him. “I was in textiles. We worked on ranges and colorations, which now helps me to match my colors.”
The Tribute to Alexis Vastine, the Project’s Source
75 portraits. For an initial request of 40. The goal is certainly to paint but also to give meaning. Exhibitions of athlete portraits aren’t out of the ordinary. C215, however, gives a new dimension to his works. 80% of them are painted on the sports equipment of the champions. An example is Jean-Philippe Gatien on a ping pong table.
The one who wants to “make things speak” didn’t hesitate to represent a Virenque on a pharmacy box. But his project comes from elsewhere. A call, the desire to honor the memory of Alexis Vastine. And then the work captivates, and the story unfolds. The athletes play along. So does C215, who believes that “the athlete is an artist at a certain level of practice. They excel beyond the norm.”
The Method
Stencils, primarily tricolored tones. A lot of work beforehand (about ten hours of stencil design) for a piece completed in less than an hour. The most complicated part is the support. “Everyone who entrusted me with equipment saw the final result. For the portraits, I had to rely on photos provided by press agencies. Only Honrubia (Handball – French Team) posed for me. I couldn’t work on certain objects like Virginie Dedieu’s towel, as it’s sometimes difficult to handle.”
When he hasn’t painted on equipment or replicas, C215 expressed himself on his preferred medium, the street. These works were then photographed. Our selection among the figures in the sports world: Gregory Baugé on a bike wheel, Bernard Laporte on a locker door, and Florence Arthaud on a sailcloth.
