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Émilie Lagarde (born May 11, 1980) is a French contemporary painter whose work explores memory, ancestry, and the invisible threads connecting past and present. Rooted in a poetic vision of the world, her practice is guided by a recurring idea: “Awake, we walk within the dream of the specter of our ancestors.” This philosophy permeates her paintings, where figures, traces, and atmospheres seem to emerge from a space between reality and memory.

Working primarily in painting and drawing, Émilie Lagarde develops a sensitive and introspective body of work marked by layered compositions, subtle textures, and a restrained yet evocative palette. Her visual language evokes both presence and absence, inviting viewers to engage with themes of transmission, inner landscapes, and collective memory.

Lagarde studied visual arts at the Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier and trained as a scenic painter, a background that informs her strong sense of composition and spatial depth. Since the late 2000s, her work has been exhibited in France and internationally, including in Paris, Brussels, Nice, New York, and Tours. She has held several solo exhibitions, notably at Galerie Veyssière (Tours), which currently represents her.

In addition to her painting practice, she has collaborated with the publishing house Éditions Unes, creating drawings for limited editions of literary works, further reflecting her deep connection to text and narrative.

Today, Émilie Lagarde continues to develop a singular artistic voice within contemporary painting, attracting collectors and galleries interested in poetic, introspective, and conceptually rich artwork.