The Centre d'arts plastiques (CAP) in Royan is currently hosting a major exhibition dedicated to painter Christian Gardair, whose 55-year artistic career has been profoundly shaped by the Gironde estuary. The exhibition marks the first major show organized by Fausto Mata, who was recently appointed as the new director of the Royan art center.

Gardair, born in Brest in 1938, follows an artistic philosophy centered on allowing the subject to take hold of the artist rather than the reverse. This approach places him in the tradition of great landscape painters who found their defining motif: just as Cézanne was captivated by Mont Sainte-Victoire, Alfred Manessier by the Bay of Somme, and Olivier Debré by the Loire River, Gardair has devoted his artistic vision to the Gironde estuary.

The Gironde estuary, which serves as both the location and subject of the exhibition in Royan, represents a vast and ever-changing waterway that begins at the Bec d'Ambès and stretches approximately 70 kilometers to the Atlantic Ocean at the level of Royan. This dynamic landscape has been the central inspiration for Gardair's work, earning him recognition as what Mata describes as "a man of the estuary, a painter of the estuary."

Mata's decision to feature Gardair as his inaugural exhibition reflects a deep professional relationship spanning three decades. Mata previously worked alongside Anne-Marie Marquette at the Bordeaux gallery Le Troisième Œil, where he had the opportunity to closely follow Gardair's artistic development. Speaking about the artist's work, Mata expressed his profound admiration, stating, "His work touches me infinitely, through its light and its intellectual dimension."

The exhibition demonstrates how place and artistic subject matter intertwine in Gardair's work, with the Gironde estuary serving as a constant source of inspiration that has nourished his creativity throughout more than five decades of artistic production. This comprehensive show offers visitors an opportunity to explore how a single geographical feature can sustain and inspire an artist's entire career.