HORFEE's name is Antwan (Paris, 1983) and he is a painter. He attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris and is finely educated in arts but his roots are elsewhere: in some videos dating back to the years to which this exhibition is dedicated he can be seen effortlessly tracing the letters of his name in large backgrounds of flat color, which he would then crowd with cartoonish objects and beings. He wanted to be able to achieve whatever his imagination desired, regardless of other people’s opinions of what was good. Being an artist, for Antwan, is being an individual, irreplaceable. Socrates said “know yourself” and Nietzsche “become what you are”. Writing lends itself well to this purpose because it is the art of writing one’s name - everywhere - to demonstrate one’s existence: the same reason applies to those who assert themselves in art with their own unmistakable sign.

Drew simple letters and grotesque cartoonish characters made plastic by well-tensioned curves. The stroke that enclosed the large flat color backgrounds could be almost vectorial
- a probable consequence of the degree in graphic design - or, on the contrary, completely cast, but never imprecise.
He hasn’t shown up with his tag for years.
Today Ken Sortais lives and works in Marseille. He prefers that his graffiti remain in the purity of the act, on the street, which is why he is no longer Conie. Yet, seeing the new works with casts taken from public sculptures, it is clear that the attitude of graffiti has not been lost.