Yann Brien


I am a French graphic artist and printmaker living and working in London.

My body of work documents an ongoing research on the impact that our limited and often biased perception of the world has on the choices we make on a constant basis, and is inscribed in the continuity of a research linking visual art and psychology.

When we experience and try to make sense of the world around us, we use a combination of intuition and logic to attribute meaning to the information we are continually processing through our senses.

Interpretations of a given visual event differ greatly among individuals, according to their own sensitivity, personal background and experience, not to mention the subjective causal links and cognitive biases created when acquiring and processing visual data.

Most of my work starts with loose, hand-drawn sketches or collages, which are then digitally edited or even rebuilt from scratch until they become empty vessels, devoid of any anecdotal content.
Simple geometric elements are repeated and combined until their intrinsic semantic attributes dissolve, and tensions build up.

The resulting compositions are mostly abstract, line-based constructions, whose titles invite the implementation of a personal narrative, and in which usual points of reference such as distance and volume shift and waver to create a unique experience based on the active participation of the viewer.
© Copyright Yann Brien 2023