Gerard Trignac

Gérard Trignac is a French printmaker born in 1955, and initially trained to become an architect - training which is evident in his imagined cityscapes. Each of his prints begins with a detailed sketch, which is then fully developed on the copper plate. Each print can take months to complete.

Trignac’s intricate etchings transport viewers into dreamlike worlds shaped by monumental architecture and silent, surreal atmospheres. Born in Bordeaux in 1955, Trignac studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he developed a deep appreciation for classical drawing and traditional etching techniques. Over the decades, he has become renowned for his technical mastery and visionary imagination.

His works are often characterized by vast, labyrinthine buildings—bridges, stairways, arches, and towers—depicted in exquisite detail and rendered in delicate tones of black and white. Influenced by the metaphysical art of Giorgio de Chirico and the fantastical visions of Piranesi, his imagery evokes solitude, mystery, and timelessness.

What sets Trignac apart is not just his skill with the burin, but his ability to construct entire worlds from his mind. His compositions are rarely based on existing places; instead, they are architectural inventions that feel both ancient and futuristic, grounded in reality yet untouched by it.

His prints have been exhibited across Europe and are held in collections such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux. Trignac’s meticulous etching process and imaginative vision make him a modern master in a centuries-old tradition, captivating audiences with each enigmatic structure he brings to life on copper and paper.

Click here to see Gerard Trignac's biography. 

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