CHRISTIAN GRANVELLE
"And God entrusted his creation to artists to magnify his glory and share it with all...."
Homenaje a activistas asesinados, Ginebra, Suiza, octubre de 2025, exposición colectiva organizada por las Naciones Unidas
20 de Junio 2025
Ricardo Salinas adquiere la famosa pintura de Christian Granvelle "Barba Azul"
Art and technology . Expo Mexico
Conference in Guadalajara, Sept 2024
Report on TV Azteca
InfluyentesLab (@influyenteslab)
About
The life and career of French painter and muralist Christian Granvelle revolves around one single ambition: to reconnect with our natural sense of contemplation. Little did he know it would led him to technical innovations in the art of fresco, spend his life as a nomad and get to become one of the world's most sought after artists.
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Born into a family of artists and engineers, he began his professional career at the age of 18, financing his art studies in Paris and Tuscany, by turning ceilings into clouded skies while getting initiated into the techniques of meditation .
See: Granvelle's complete biography
Later on, Inspired by the oxydation phenomena found on the fresco work of Giotto, the Italian muralist, and thanks to his extensive technical knowledge, he starts integrating to his own murals unique and elaborate textures.
Once he started to receive large projects, mainly from architects, he was able to develop strategies and techniques that would allow his assistants to ingeniously and beautifully complement his murals in all adjacent spaces, thus fusing art with architecture.
See: "a new old function of architecture"
This achievement helped him to reach his goal of imbuing the space with an inspiriting and soothing function.
These innovative techniques have led Christian to be the instigator of a complete revival of the art of fresco painting and to have had a considerable influence on a whole generation of designers and architects. No wonder he is the only artist whose work has been featured twice on the cover of Architectural Digest.
See: "The secrets behind Granvelle's magic"
See: examples of Granvelle's achievements in design
His captivated prestigious clientele also started to collect his more personal work . It includes personalities like Bill Gates, Bruce Springsteen, Frida Lyngstad (Abba), Michael Douglas, Paloma Picasso, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Costner and also corporations like Warner Brothers, Bank of Switzerland, YSL, Armani and NorthWest Airlines, among many . For lack of time and motivation, he stopped exposing in galleries, preferring the direct sale to his faithful clientele which unsurprisingly also includes renowned architects and designers.
Seduced by surrealist Mexico, he moved from the French Riviera to Guadalajara in 2016. By turning his attention to his personal development and spirituality it led him to work on various concrete and altruistic projects such as the foundation and construction of spiritual centers and a web-platform serving young artists.
Now, after an interruption of nearly 9 years, he was convinced to unlock his workshop and produce art again, inspired by his spiritual evolution and his fondness for Mexican life and culture.
Main exhibitions and events, by date: (partial)
Paris, 1984, Gallery Yvon Lambert, collective exhibition. Paris, 1984, Museum of modern art Beaubourg, collective exhibition. Paris, 1985, Museum of Grand Palais, collective exhibition. Paris, 1986, Gallery Turzi, solo exhibition. Rome, 1987, Gallery Turzi, solo exhibition. Stockholm, 1987, Gallery Façons, solo exhibition. Venezia, Italy, 1988, Palazzo Barbaro Volkhoff, solo exhibition. Paris, Event-Expo for Publication of book : "Architecture Peintes en Trompe l’œil" by Myriam Milman. New York, 1989, Saladino Gallery, solo exhibition. New York, 1990, Bloomingdale's, collective exhibition. New York, 1990, Kips Bay show, collective exhibition. Santa Barbara, California, 1992, Collective AIDS Charity Auction. Los Angeles, 1995, Divine Design show, collective exhibition. Paris, 2000-2001, Maison & Objet, Architecture Show. Guadalajara, 2023, Conference at the Fine Arts University of Guadalajara. Mexico, 2023: interview by Influyentes Lab. Agosto 2024: Expo y charla, Edificio MIND, Guadalajara
Miscallanious Press Coverage, by date: (partial)​
-Maison Française, France, mai 1980 "Des personnages plus grand que nature, peints par Christian Granvelle apportent une nouvelle dimension et donnent une échelle particulière à cet escalier d'un immeuble parisien dont rien par ailleurs n'a été modifié". -Le Figaro, France, 1981  "...Christian Granvelle, peintre qui a pour particularité de faire entrer la lumière dans ses réalisations... -Decoration international, France, May 1982 “ Maitre Binoche aime les fresques de Christian Granvelle et c'est dans un escalier situé place des Vosges qu'il lui a proposé d'exercer ses talents. -Damernas Sweden, April 1982 “ It is a man with brillant artistic ideas to liven up walls. He will return in the spring to work for King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia as well as Anni Frid Lyngstad (Abba)". -Dam, Sweden, March 1982  "The Gallery Façons in Stockholm hosted a cocktail party to present Frenchman Christian Granvelle. He paints surrealist frescoes directly on wall or on canvas with a three-dimentional effect. " -Vogue, Italia, March 1983 ​ “ Appartimenti parigini spazi nuovi, in cui grazie alla magia del trompe-l'oeil Christian Granvelle modificava i limiti del reale." -House & Garden, England, November 1984 “ With few patterns, shadow and light effects that vary according to angles and time of day. High art. Captivated, the greatest architects call on Granvelle's magic." -Il Tiempo Italia, March 1985 “ A couple of famous journalists commissioned the young French artist Christian Granvelle to paint the entrance of their home. " -Clic Sweden, May 1986 “ We are approaching a time where figurative art will become proeminent again. And as the figurative is reborn frescoes and murals will return". -Cover of Architectural Digest, January 1987 “ a forty-eight-foot mural depicting a fantasy vision of morocco was painted by Christian Granvelle." ​-New York Times us, April 1987 “ Christian Granvelle, a French artist who created the sweeping fresco paintings in the room: Morocco, Crete, Egypt and ancient Mexico are the other locations Mr. Granvelle cited as inspiration." -Interior Design, Sept 1987  "Also designed during the design process are the fresco wall paintings (extended to ceilings and floors) by muralist christian Granvelle, whom the architect met while at work on the exhibition." -Le Figaro, France, 1988  "Un paysage d'architecture et d'eau, imaginé par Christian Granvelle, donne à un salon traditionnel une dimension presque infinie." -House & Garden, USA, Sept 1990 "In the Living Room, for instance, Paris based artist Christian Granvelle's frescoed ceiling could be an ornate testimonial to an earlier era's artistry." -Scope Maison & Jardin, 1990  Quant à Christian Granvelle, 29 ans, ancien élève des Beaux arts et de Camondo, il s'intitule fresquiste et nous propose des trompe l'oeil théâtraux où les colonnes en marbre, les perspectives architecturales, atteignent au surréalisme à la manière d'un De Chirico." -Vogue France, March 1990 Exhibition in New York: "Il ne parle pas, il peint! Christian Granvelle est devenu premier maître muraliste de Paris à New York. Les grands architectes se l'arrachent. La côte de son pinceau grimpe..." Santa Barbara News Press, US Jan 1990 "Man should be discreet on this planet", muralist Christian Granvelle said.... -New York Times US, April 1991 -Architectural Digest US, April 1993 -Cover of Architectural Digest, December 1994 -AD International June 1995
Main Collectors of Granvelle's work​
Mr & Mrs Semel / Warner Brothers. Private Residence / New York. Warner Brothers, Burbank California. William Gates III / Microsoft, Seattle, Washington. HRH Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen, Obhur, Jeddah KSA. Mr & Mrs Drexler / GAP Corporation. San Francisco. Mr Rob Reiner / Movie Director, Beverly Hills, California. Mr & Mrs Michael Douglas, New York. Anni Frid Lyngstad  (Frida), Groupe Abba, Stockholm, Sweden. Groupe Aha, Stockholm, Sweden. Mr & Mrs Checchi / Northwest Airlines, Beverly Hills, California. French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paris France. Mr & Mrs Bradley Bell, Beverly Hills California. Alberto Pinto, Architect, Paris, Cannes. Mr & Michael Stevens / St James Club Paris & New York. Thierry Despont, Architect, New York. John Saladino, Architect, New York. Yves St Laurent, Paris/Deauville / Morocco. Bank of Switzerland, Los Angeles headquarters. Frank Lloyd Wright, La miniatura, Pasadena, California. Princess Borghese, Rome. HRH Prince Bandar, Jeddah, KSA. Hendryx & Allerdyce, Architects, Los Angeles, USA. HRH Prince Sultan, Jeddah, KSA. Academy of Motion Pictures, Beverly Hills, California. Mr & Mrs Gaussen, Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff, ,Venezia, Gran Canal. Paloma Picasso, Paris. Mr & Mrs Pearl, Las Tejas, Montecito, California. Mr & Mrs Prat St Emilion, France. Agha Khan, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Hassan II, HM King of Morocco, Casablanca, Morocco. Princess Kristina, Stockholm, Sweden. Bill Willis, Architect, Marrakesh, Morocco. Jacques Grange, architect, Paris. Kevin Costner, Pasadena, California. Frank Pennino, architect, West Hollywood, California. Khaled Juffali Jeddah, KSA. Mrs Suad Juffali, Jeddah, KSA. Mr & Mrs Santo Domingo, Paris / Colombia. Babyface, Beverly Hills, California. Natacha's restaurant, Paris. Mr & Mrs Bruce Springsteen, Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Rod Stewart, Beverly Hills, California. Société des Bains de mer, Monte carlo. Leonardo di Caprio, Bel Air, California. Maitre J.C. Binoche, Place des Vosges, Paris, France. Isabelle Adjani, Paris, France. Juan Montoya, Architect, New York, Armani Studios, Beverly Hills, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Mexico City.
Calendario
March 2023: Conference at the university of the arts in Guadalajara
December 2023: Yuri's birthday in Guadalajara
August 2024, Reunion with RK Granna, Gregorio Godoy y Jonas Guttiérez
August 2024: Expo and conference, Edificio Mind, Guadalajara
20 Junio 2025: Centro Ricardo B. Salinas en la ciudad de Mexico
Salinas recibe su última adquisición: un cuadro del pintor francés
Christian Granvelle, quien reside en Guadalajara desde hace varios años.
A partir del 15 de octubre de 2025, Christian Granvelle participará en la exposición que honra la memoria de los activistas asesinados por sus causas en todo el mundo. Expondrá dos obras en homenaje a Muhsin Hendricks de Pakistán, y Ishtiak Ahmed Sharban, de Bangladesh.