From Pop Art to Street Art, from Realism to naive touches, his compositions are intentionally complex, for viewers to wander, discover details, and build their own story
Art has been a part of Jean-Baptiste Launay’s life for as long as he can remember. Today known as Jisbar, he began painting and drawing as a child, a passion fostered by visits to museums and galleries with his parents.
Courtesy of Jisbar
As a teenager, the skateboarding and snowboarding culture also contributed to the development of his creativity and artistic identity.
Born in France in 1989 and currently residing in Lisbon, this self-taught artist expanded his knowledge through books and perfected his techniques through countless experiences. He has always enjoyed creating, feeling a strong connection to the artistic world that has kept him going.
Courtesy of Jisbar
Jisbar does not like to limit himself to one artistic movement or style; he defines his work as a mixture of influences and techniques: “From Pop Art to Street Art, from Realism to naive touches, adding both text and figurative elements. My compositions are intentionally complex, so viewers can wander through the work, discover details, and build their own story from all these different fragments,” he explains.
Blue Travel Bag Nature 130x97cm, Courtesy of ArtCatto
His goal is to spark curiosity in those who encounter his art, encouraging individual interpretation free from preconceived notions or rules.
The artist also invites viewers to step closer and move back in order to put the pieces together, which leads to some fun moments. His paintings, full of colour and emotion, feature reinterpretations of classics from art history.
Courtesy of ArtCatto
The idea came to Jisbar in 2008, as a result of his desire to study this topic and learn about various themes, techniques and concepts from renowned artists, materialising his vision of their works.
At the time, Pop Art was all about comic book iconography, superheroes or Disney characters, which he used as references to create distinctive and innovative art.
Louis Milky Mona 146x114cm, Courtesy of ArtCatto
It all started with the Mona Lisa, as it is “the most famous painting in the world, and maybe the most difficult one, too”, according to the artist.
This is Jisbar’s most famous painting for several reasons. His first version is now part of the collection of the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, and in 2019, to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death, the artist decided to pay tribute to him by launching the work into space, one of the Italian painter’s fascinations.
Courtesy of Jisbar
Later, the images captured in the atmosphere were presented at the La Joconde exhibition, organised by the Louvre Museum and the Grand Palais Immersif in Paris.
This unique project required a detailed study of the climate, due to the extreme conditions, and weight calculation, as sending things up to space has a cost per gram.
Courtesy of Jisbar
Jisbar finds inspiration in the simplest things, from everyday life, time spent in nature and sports to discussions with his collectors and social activities. He appreciates each work he creates and, although they are all different, they share his sense of satisfaction and fulfilment.
“It’s like taking something from nothing and bringing it to life, making real the abstract vision I had in my mind at the start,” the artist shares.
Luxe Prince 150x90cm, Courtesy of ArtCatto
Recreating classics is a complex process that goes through several stages. The artist begins by hanging several canvases on the walls of his studio, where he draws his sketches. He first uses lighter colours for the larger shapes, then moves on to darker tones.
Once he has a “clean and precise” image, he moves on to the second phase, which he describes as “more instinctive, messy, and spontaneous”, where the piece gains energy and comes to life.
Queen of Pop lucky bill 130x60cm, Courtesy of ArtCatto
Currently, Jisbar spends his days in the Portuguese capital where he finds inspiration. “I truly love Portugal; living here feels like a blessing.
People are very kind and life is sweet,” he says. The artist first visited the country in 2020 and fell in love with the culture, the ambience, the food, the people and the weather. A fan of motorcycle racing, his connection to the Algarve came later when he discovered the Algarve International Racetrack, where he watched the MotoGP race.
Courtesy of ArtCatto
Jisbar now brings Portugal into his personal and artistic journey, which is characterised by persistence and hope, and which has resulted in exhibitions all over the world, from Australia and Thailand to the United States of America, and cities such as London, Paris, Milan, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
Franck Muller – Vanguard Crazy Hours, Courtesy of Jisbar
The artist also collaborates with brands such as Ducati, Armani, BMW, L’Oréal, and Diesel, and has recently entered into creative partnerships, such as the one with Franck Muller to unveil an art-inspired watch, and painting cars and accessories for the FIA 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance series.
Courtesy of Jisbar
In the future, Jisbar intends to continue exploring these outisde-the-box artistic ventures that captivate him more and more, and also focus on exhibitions in museums so that his works can always be enjoyed.
In the Algarve, Jisbar’s artwork will be on display at ArtCatto Gallery, in Loulé, until the end of November.
Franck Muller – Vanguard Crazy Hours, Courtesy of Jisbar
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