Claire Tabouret

‘The human face is like the surface of water, always in motion, always elusive, never still,’ says Claire Tabouret (1981). In her portraits, she captures that transience in colourful layers of paint, using unusual materials in a style that is many things at once: classical, romantic, melancholic and mysterious.

Voorlinden presents the first major museum exhibition of Claire Tabouret’s work. The figurative painter stretches the traditional boundaries of painting. She engages with art-historical themes and reflects on human relationships, on how you see yourself –both as an individual and as part of a group. With her portraits, she often holds up a mirror: what do you see, strength or vulnerability? At the end of 2026, her stained-glass windows for the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will also be unveiled.

Cover image: Portrait of Claire Tabouret, Courtesy of the Artist and Almine Rech | © Claire Tabouret, photo: Amanda Charchian.