Background Image

Our glance at

Roman Kames

Pic Image Image Image


Roman Kames

See the works
From 10/04/2012to 05/09/2012
The painter Roman Kanes is born in Prague in 1952. He is just 21 when he settles down in Paris where he studies painting at the ENSBA (National School of Fine Arts). Today, Roman Kames is recognized in the world of publishing as the editor of « Revue K » founded in 1981 with the support of poet and visual artist Jiri Kolar, known worldwide as a symbolic figure of the Czech artistic dissidence and who has just begun a twenty years exile in the French capital.
One event changes Roman Kames' painting but also his life. His first journey to Ladakh in the Indian Himalaya in 1992. Back in Paris, Roman Kanes' art shifts direction. He covers his previous canvases with grey clay removed from the Indus river. From then on, the artist paints mountains, glaciers,  monsoons, shifting sands, suns (Surya in Hindi) and moons (Chandra). Every year, the painter returns to the Ladakh mountains in Himalaya to paint (most of the time temperas on Himalayan paper - poshok-), exhibits and offers painting sessions for children.
Since the eighties, Roman Kanes exhibits on a regular basis. His totally new chromatic harmonies reflect on their support, play of light, shimmering reflections of sun and moon rays, ice glimmering surfaces, countless colored variations that warm up or cool down immaculate landscapes by just tiny openings towards infinite within bulks almost opaque. No need to say there is a lot of wonder in this artist's eye. He opens his eye and his hands like he is offering a priceless treasure. Kanes passes on and shares.
When he is in France, Roman Kanes lives and works in Alfortvile (South-East of Paris). The painter stays at least 3 months a year - a season - in Ladakh, following step by step both his artistic and spiritual quest. He has his workshop at the lama-poet Konchok's, gives painting classes to Pahâris and Ladakhis children and Tibetan people in exile. Mental lanscape, real landscape! The sand that runs through his fingers grows the dune by a handful! That's the way it is. Everything is fine. We thank Terry Haass for introducing us to this artist and are convinced that you will too appreciate him.


Discover all the "Glance at..."