Légèreté du Regard (Lightness of the Gaze) is a mixed-media painting by Christian Halna du Fretay, created on a Japanese shikishi board. Traditionally used for both calligraphy and painting, the shikishi offers a rigid, finely textured surface ideal for controlled, layered work. Its gold-edged border adds a formal, framing element that subtly enhances the warm tonal palette used in the painting.
The composition combines acrylic paint, collage, and linear drawing. A classical human face appears near the top—calm and softly defined—set within an abstract environment. This face contrasts with the surrounding elements, which are composed of textured paint layers, gestural marks, and abstract forms. Rather than functioning as a focal point, the figure is embedded into the surface and treated as one visual element among others.
The collage components add variation in surface and density. They do not depict specific references but contribute to the layered, constructed feel of the image. Together with areas of thin paint and scraped textures, they create a complex visual field without resolving into a single narrative.
The color palette is dominated by ochres, pale pinks, muted reds, and is activated by small areas of blue and metallic gold. These shifts in tone help organize the image and support the overall balance of the composition. The golden edge of the shikishi board reinforces these tones and subtly ties the format to the color system within the work.
The scale and structure of the shikishi board influence the entire composition. Du Fretay works within the board’s fixed dimensions to create a painting that is compact but layered, restrained but visually open. His approach remains consistent with his broader practice: combining figurative abstraction with material sensitivity, always with attention to surface and space.
Légèreté du Regard (Lightness of the Gaze) is a clear example of du Fretay’s ability to merge tradition and experimentation. By working on shikishi, he engages with a classical format while pursuing a contemporary visual language grounded in layering, abstraction, and visual nuance.
"Lightness of the Gaze" - Shikishi artwork by Christian Halna du Fretay
Original one-of-a-kind artwork by Christian Halna du Fretay.
Collage, acrylique, pencil on a traditional Shikishi made in Kyoto - Japanese paper mounted on a cardoard with a golden border of metallic paper.
Size : 24cm x 27cm (9.4 x 10.6 inches)
Signed "Du Fretay".
