Patrick Bancel was born under the light of Provence in the South of France, 20 miles between Cezanne and Van Gogh. He has been painting since an early age.
He learned trompe l'oeil at Van Der Kelen Superior Painting Institute in Brussels. Upon graduation, Patrick was awarded the Medal and Jury's distinction and started working as the Assistant Director of the Institute. He also studied at the Ateliers des Beaux Arts de Paris in France.
Patrick has been commissioned in 15 different countries to paint skies on ceilings and murals in trompe l’oeil. As a leading artist in trompe l'oeil, his work goes beyond that genre and also surpasses photorealism. Many of his paintings incorporate three-dimensional tactile surfaces in addition to trompe l'oeil painting techniques to tease the viewers' eyes and minds.
During all these trips he started to photograph and videotape skies. Patrick currently uses all his body of work in his new “Billboards” collection, which brings together his work as a photographer and painter. This collection focuses on revealing the shocking contradictory times we live in as it relates to global warming.