Cadio Damien

• Born in 1975, Mont Saint-Aignan
• Lives and works in Nantes. Professor at the Fine Arts School of Nantes

Born in 1975 in France, Damien Cadio currently lives and works in Brussels. Known for his precise, framed, and meticulous approach, Damien Cadio creates paintings that draw the viewer into a world where the banal becomes unsettling. A few wilted flowers left too long in a vase, a nearly empty glass, the weight of red velvet curtains—Damien Cadio focuses on scenes that are quiet, familiar, and seemingly insignificant. Yet, under his brush, these elements take on a mysterious, almost haunting presence.
The strength of Damien Cadio’s work lies in this subtle tension. Is it the tight framing, the subdued palette, or the classical technique that lends his compositions their strangeness? Perhaps it is the silence and distance that inhabit each painting, generating a quiet sense of unease and curiosity. In Damien Cadio’s paintings, time seems suspended, the ordinary becomes ambiguous, and the subject matter often appears to be something other than what it seems.
Rather than telling a story, Damien Cadio invites contemplation. His still lifes and interior scenes are not just visual representations but constructed spaces where the viewer is encouraged to look again—and deeper. Through these ambiguities, Damien Cadio challenges our perception, subtly questioning what is shown and what is hidden.