Benoit Havard

By the age of six, he had already begun to draw and paint, showing a natural affinity for the visual arts.

Formal Training and Early Exploration

In 1998, Benoît enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts de Cherbourg, where he studied under respected artists Lejeune and Valadié. Just a year later, at age 19, he committed to painting full-time.

His early artistic explorations included watercolours painted during travels through Morocco. Eventually, he transitioned to oil painting, working predominantly with a palette knife—an approach that would become his signature technique.

Style and Technique

Benoît is celebrated for his dreamy, luminescent urban landscapes that radiate warmth, energy, and emotional depth.

His work is rooted in spontaneity, favouring light, contrast, and texture over strict realism. He captures urban scenes—New York, London, Paris—through photographs, then reinterprets them, bringing each subject into his own world.

Using a palette knife, Benoît creates layered textures, blending transparency with bold streaks and soft fades. His colour palette often harmonizes warm tones with cool blue greys, gradually leading his compositions toward abstraction.

He begins with the background, builds atmosphere, and adds characters and vehicles only after establishing the emotional rhythm of the scene.

Recognition and Exhibitions

Since 2004, Benoît Havard has exhibited widely across Europe and has served as guest of honour at prestigious shows.

His paintings are featured in numerous private collections, including that of luxury brand Louis Vuitton, affirming his place among Europe’s leading contemporary urban artists.