Jean-François Octave
Jean-François Octave was born in 1955 in Arlon and lives and works in Brussels. His work spans drawing, sculpture, and installation, often merging humor, irony, and social commentary. Beginning with daily chronicles and diary-like graphite drawings in the 1970s, Octave has developed a lexicon of freestanding silhouettes, textual banners, and graphic appropriations drawn from pop culture, literature, and contemporary design. These elements cohabit with philosophical reflections, transforming ordinary signs and slogans into nuanced visual narratives, inviting viewers to read between the lines of contemporary culture and human experience. Recent solo exhibitions include “Quelques silhouettes, etc…” (Rossicontemporary, Brussels, 2025), “Old=New” (Rossicontemporary, Brussels, 2023), “Merveilleux & Magnifique” (Galerie Koma, Mons, 2022), and “Jean-François Octave: Pictures over Four Decades” (OV Project, Brussels, 2021). Among the numerous artworks in public spaces, are the design of the metro station at Heysel and the monument to Marguerite Yourcenar on the Brussels Avenue Louise.
