Robert Combas

(French, born 1957)

Robert Combas is a French artist who is known for founding the Figuration Libre movement—closely aligned stylistically to Neo-Expressionism in the United States—as a counter to Conceptual and Minimalist Art. His combination of rough line and bold color echoes Art Brut and CoBrA, yet also resembles the graphic Pop style of Keith Haring. Born on May 25, 1957 in Lyon, France, Combas studied art as a child and enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts in Montpellier in 1975. Combas developed his figurative painting practice by taking inspiration from popular culture, graffiti, comics, and street art. Other founding members of the Figuration Libre movement include Rémy Blanchard, François Boisrond, and Hervé Di Rosa. The artist currently lives and works in Paris, France.