Hello everyone,
My name is Dara Surateau. In the early 90s, I was studying applied arts and aiming for prestigious Parisian art schools, but photography took over, and a few years later, after an apprenticeship, I officially became a photographer.
Digital technology arrived, the internet, and so on... I continued to work in photography but added more strings to my bow; I completed further training to also become a Graphic Designer/Web Designer.
Drawing, for its part, arrived without warning. What was meant to be a break, a yoga session for my soul, became an almost daily necessity. So I drew what resonated most within me. I love abstract art, I love the proliferation of patterns, but also simplicity, minimalism, and the spontaneity of a gesture. I love black, red, and primary colors. I chose my tools of choice: a few markers and some brushes. I tried my hand at watercolors and persevered with my fine-liner. In harmony with who I am: meticulous and patient.
My work is built on the precision of the gesture, repeated thousands of times, and a rawer, almost brutalist aesthetic in terms of materials and composition. Each series explores a different universe: The spontaneous gesture that dictates the construction of the resulting drawing in Black Flow, the explosion and contrast of red and black in Mess is More, and movement and torsion in Water Color.
Each drawing offered for sale here was filmed during its creation, from the first to the last stroke—a way to share a bit of the long time spent on each piece.
You will find these three universes below, as accessible reproductions and editions.
