Manuel Fernandez, known as KiKo, is a French self-taught artist born in 1985 in Martigues. His native Provence is inseparable from his work, inspired by Mediterranean colors such as “burning orange”, he takes us to the heart of his childhood.

Childhood is a dominant subject in the production of ‘KiKo’, a symbolic nickname he kept from school. His portrayal of the early years translates innocence, melancholy, recklessness, the youthful memory of a past gone. This theme captivates and fascinates him. Awakening the child who is in each of us, such is the effect sought in each of his paintings.

For KiKo, art should remain a child’s drawing; in the realization until it is comprehension. The Comforting Bear is anchored in this spirit. Toys carry our imaginary escapes, our dreams, our doubts and our innermost secrets. The spontaneity of the gesture manifests the creative urgency, the expression of a mysterious world. The projected painting echoes Urban movement with Pop-Street Art roots. The use of stencils for Kiko is prohibited as each piece is unique and creates a unique emotion.

KiKo questions the childhood stolen by an increasingly invasive consumer society, which he, as an adult, regrets the melancholy of this lost youth. If the resin gives his canvases their characteristic ultra-shine, KiKo reminds us here that the essential is always found under the varnish of appearance: « The most important thing is the inner child, nothing else”.

In few years, the “Kids of KiKo” have become great travelers; from Shanghai to Miami, via Europe, they have conquered all hearts and are the subject of exhibitions in galleries and in Contemporary Art Fairs.

Find his work in our Marciano Contemporary Galleries.