Manolo Chrétien

Since June 2025, Manolo Chrétien has been awarded the title of Official Painter of Air and Space.

Born in 1966 and raised near the Orange Air Force Base in France, Manolo Chrétien has vivid childhood memories of watching through his bedroom window in admiration of the airplanes flowing through the sky. As the son of Jean-Loup Chrétien, a test pilot and the first French astronaut, hangars filled with jet prototypes were his playground. He developed his passion for aviation early in life, although it would not be publicly expressed until later. "I was inspired by the powerful aesthetic imagery of airplanes, the passion and risk involved, and the developing technology. I believe there is a strong link between air and art." Deciding to pursue his studies in Paris at the prestigious École des arts appliqués d'Olivier de Serres, Chrétien discovered a passion and talent for materials and graphics. He created a graphic design company focused on extreme sports in Paris in 1991 before moving to Morlaix, France. Chrétien's impressive artworks are represented worldwide in galleries from Paris and Montreal to Singapore and London.