French artist Thomas Lelu on using social media to help his art send a message

Dubai exhibition features phrases spray-painted on canvases

Thomas Lelu spray-paints phrases on to canvases to capture 'the spirit of a protest'. Photo: Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery

Rather than paintings and sculptures, French contemporary artist Thomas Lelu uses words to communicate his art.

Lelu, whose work mixes elements of graffiti and the strength of words, describes his work as a combination of language and pictures – something that is "imperfect but balanced".

His latest exhibition, Calm Down It's Just Art, is currently at the Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery in Dubai and features canvases on which he has spray-painted phrases.

Lelu, who has been painting since 2003, says he chose to focus on words after receiving advice from his mother, a psychoanalyst. “She said to me, ‘People are about language. This is the essence of the human being,’” he tells The National.

He also uses social media to display his art, often using a ballpoint pen to write on paper and sharing the work on Instagram.

His current style was developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he shared his feelings through notes on social media. “This moment was difficult for everyone,” he says. “So, I chose to open up about what I was experiencing and that became the beginning of a new dimension in my process and my work.”

Thomas Lelu's work uses language and phrases. Photo: Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery

Lelu began posting on his Instagram account once a week and soon noticed his work being widely shared. “When I write something, I first post it on another account, one that doesn’t have too many followers," he says. "I experiment there, seeing how these words resonate with a smaller group. If it’s successful, then I post it on my official account.

“After that, many people repost the text. Some even use it for tattoos, wallpapers and other personal projects. Sometimes, I repost the pictures they create using my words and, in doing so, I rediscover my own text in a completely new way. So you see, it’s really a collaboration with people from the very beginning.”

He says his show in Dubai represents a natural progression, after having his works published in a book. He believes the use of spray paint on large canvases sends a big message.

His work is "not exactly graffiti, and I'm not a street artist," he says, in fact it is "more about the spirit of a protest, where you’re claiming a message and saying something important".

French artist Thomas Lelu uses social media to show his works. Getty Images

While many artists use social media to publicise their art, Lelu views it as an integral part of his work. He says he joined Instagram early on, after the platform was recommended by a friend. “For me, that's one of the most important parts of my work," he adds. "It's funny because, at first, I was using something like MySpace and one day I was at a fashion show with a friend, a philosopher who is quite famous in France. I was using my phone with a very bad filter and he said to me, 'You should try Instagram.'

"So I did, and that was really the beginning of the work I do today. It was a recommendation from a friend who happens to be a specialist in language, which makes it even more interesting.”

Lelu describes Instagram as a big factory, where strangers interact with each other on a daily basis. “I don't want to work in a studio just painting things with a glass of wine and some jazz playing – even though I love jazz,” he says.

The most important thing is talking to people, he says. “That's what my work is about. It's about language, yes, but also about meeting people, having conversations and changing – both myself and others. It's not just about the medium, it's about a social connection.”

Thomas Lelu: Calm Down It's Just Art is at Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery in Dubai until June 14