In the artist's words
Born in 1989 in the Arcachon Basin, Isabelle Carmen Fuentes is a French visual artist whose work is firmly rooted in the tradition of free figuration. After several years immersed in the world of theater, she honed her sense of staging and the expression of the body, and in 2019 she made a radical shift towards the visual arts. Now living in the Landes region, she has returned to her studio with a newfound maturity after a short break dedicated to motherhood, showcasing a singular and increasingly personal pictorial universe.
Isabelle Carmen Fuentes's work is distinguished by its vibrant energy and unique dynamism. Mastering mixed media, she blends acrylics and pigments on a variety of supports, ranging from canvas and papier-mâché to the customization of recycled objects. Her raw exploration of the human condition is expressed through highly expressive portraits, rendered in a vibrant, electric color palette. Her figures are rigorously structured by bold, powerful black outlines that discipline the chaos. A key signature of her approach, the hands and feet of her characters frequently end in touches of intense, vivid red, symbolizing the blood flow of life, action, and movement.
This graphic strength has earned her a career marked by significant events. Deeply rooted in the Southwest of France, she has exhibited extensively around the Arcachon Basin—notably at the Galerie La Source in La Teste-de-Buch for immersive installations, but also in Pyla-sur-Mer during the exhibition "Imbroglio," which revealed a different facet of her art through a more refined ink work, embracing emptiness and lightness. She has also made her mark in Bordeaux, exhibiting in iconic locations such as the Grande Poste and the Radisson Blu Hotel. Her unique style has propelled her onto the international stage with the exhibition of her masterful canvas, "Shark Education," at the East Side Gallery in Manhattan, New York. Selected alongside other artists as part of a call for projects launched by the Independent Winegrowers, her work of artistic bottle customization was showcased at the Cité du Vitrail in Troyes. Deeply committed to others and sharing, she enriches her practice through numerous social interventions, creating collaborative murals with associations and working with children.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Garage Gallery “In My World” LUXEY
2023 Galerie du Pyla “Imbroglio” PYLA SUR MER
2022 Restaurant Le Barathym ARCACHON
2021 Éphémèr’Art Gallery
- Radison Hotel BORDEAUX
- La Grande Poste BORDEAUX
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Vander Plas Gallery “Chaos and Stillness” NEW YORK
2023 Stained Glass Museum (Champagne Bottles) TROYES
2022 Hébé Festival MONT DE MARSAN
2022 Art Sens 33
- Galerie Victor Hugo “Liberation of Thoughts” LA TESTE DE BUCH
2021 Art Sens 33
- Galerie Victor Hugo LA TESTE DE BUCH
COLLABORATIONS
2023 Design of the poster for the 4 Seasons Marathon ARCACHON
GROUP AND ASSOCIATIONS
2026 Creation of a mural for the SISM (Emergency Medical Information Service) association, a citizen-focused organization in Labrit
2020/2022 Creation of visuals, posters, t-shirts, and communication materials (Enfance et Sourires 33)
CALLS FOR PROJECTS
2023 Bulles Innovation Solidarity Project with independent Champagne winemakers
2022 Creation and execution of a mural with community outreach at the Milles Potes Leisure Center, Arcachon
AUCTION HOUSE
2022 Auction (Femmes Solidaires) at the La Teste-de-Buch racecourse
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Center for Arts and Performance (Professional Theater Class), Paris
Théâtre du Gymnase, Cours Michel Galabru (Theater Class), Paris
Théâtre des Lumières (Theater Workshop), Mont-de-Marsan
