© Thomas Babeau
Alexis Peskine was born in 1979, Paris, France. He lives and works between Dakar, Senegal and France. Peskine focuses on questions of identity. His powerful portraits literally nailed into wooden planks pay tribute to the many individuals undertaking the dangerous boat journeys from North Africa to Europe. Using several sizes of nails, he drives them in at different depths to create a sense of relief and to introduce a third dimension. He is a 2004 Fulbright Scholar who holds a B.F.A. from Howard University an M.A. and M.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). The artist’s use of graphic and commercial images in fine art is informed by his early start in graphic design. At age 15, Peskine was the youngest student to enter the Apprentice Center of Formation for the Graphic Art in Paris; he subsequently worked for Crayures as an industrial designer for clients such as Roland Garros, Malterre and Fly. He has exhibited across the globe (most recently within a solo booth at the AKAA fair in Paris in 2018) and is represented by October Gallery, London.
