"APES" Painting

CHAP – Christophe Heymann

Born in 1956 in Fort-Lamy, Chad, CHAP (Christophe Heymann Artiste Peintre) is a French painter whose work blends narrative figuration and pop art. Deeply inspired by Africa, animals, music, and human stories, he creates vibrant and symbolic paintings that invite viewers to look beyond appearances.

His artistic universe is built around emotion, memory, and imagination. Through colors, hidden details, layered figures, and symbolic compositions, CHAP tells stories — sometimes real, sometimes reinvented, often more beautiful than reality itself.

Over the years, he developed the concept of the “Tableau de Vie®” (Life Painting®), a registered artistic concept that transforms personal, family, or professional stories into unique painted works of art. Each painting becomes both a visual narrative and a lasting emotional legacy.

Born in Africa and surrounded from childhood by wildlife and nature, CHAP maintains a powerful connection with animals, which frequently appear in his work as symbols of instinct, strength, tenderness, or humanity itself. Lions, cheetahs, elephants, monkeys, birds, and zebras populate his canvases alongside human figures and dreamlike scenes.

Music also plays an essential role in his creative process. CHAP paints constantly accompanied by music — from classical compositions to jazz, country, reggae, or rock — allowing rhythm and emotion to guide the movement of his brush.

Today, CHAP’s paintings can be found in private collections, public spaces, medical centers, restaurants, and exhibitions throughout France. His work seeks above all to create emotion, spark imagination, and remind us that art remains one of the most human ways to tell a story.