Ernest Pignon Erna

Ernest Pignon-Ernest – Contemporary Art
Full name: Ernest Pignon

Place of birth: Nice, France

Nationality: French

Artistic movement: Urban Art, Politically Engaged Art
Artistic career

Ernest Pignon-Ernest is considered one of the pioneers of urban art in France. Since 1966, he has been transforming city walls into ephemeral canvases, integrating his drawings into the urban fabric to reveal its history, memory, and social struggles. His approach blends drawing, photography, and on-site intervention, creating contextual and poetic works.
Major works

Rimbaud (1978): Portraits of the poet Arthur Rimbaud placed in his hometown, Charleville-Mézières, to revive poetic memory.
Pasolini (2015): Depiction of Pier Paolo Pasolini holding his own body, installed in Rome near the site of his assassination.
The Paris Commune (1971): Posters illustrating the events of the Commune, pasted on the walls of Paris to commemorate that historic period.
Prometheus (1982): Intervention in Martigues representing the myth of Prometheus, installed in a public space to question sacrifice and rebellion.
Style and influences

Ernest Pignon-Ernest primarily uses charcoal and black stone for his drawings, creating images of great emotional intensity. He selects sites rich in historical or social meaning to install his works, making urban space an active component of his art. His work is deeply committed, addressing themes such as memory, revolt, poetry, and social injustice.
Recent exhibitions

2024: "Je est un autre", Fondation Louis Vuitton, Venice
2016–2017: Retrospective at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Nice
2014: "Prisons", Galerie Lelong, Paris
Quote

"What I offer are visual interventions in reality and the resonances they provoke."