El Mac’s “Instant de Grâce” (2026) brings the face of a ballerina to a building at Place Jeanne d’Arc in Paris’s 13th arrondissement, beside Église Notre-Dame de la Gare. The artist says his friend Sophia modeled for the mural. Lines and shifts in tone give her face depth against the façade, where it meets the gaze of people crossing the square. The 13th arrondissement’s municipal magazine identifies the site as 19 place Jeanne d’Arc. (cdn.paris.fr)
El Mac made the painting in homage to Alphonse Mucha, whose work he says has influenced him since childhood. He also points to the influence of French artist Jean “Moebius” Giraud, particularly in his use of line and color. For this portrait, he hoped Sophia’s image would convey beauty, grace and strength.
The title speaks to what El Mac wants the painting to offer amid troubled times. He writes that “creating and sharing beauty is always worthwhile,” and describes the possibility of brief moments of grace or joy in an ordinary day. That ambition is modest in scale but direct in its address: a face painted where anyone passing through the neighborhood can encounter it.
El Mac thanked Galerie Itinerrance for its help with the mural. The gallery has worked on outdoor art projects in the 13th arrondissement since 2004, making this a fitting neighborhood for a painting concerned with art’s place in daily life. (itinerrance.fr)
Images via @mac_arte on Instagram.
