Yves Charnay
French artist, born in Saint-Chamond, Loire.  
DNBA, 1965, Regional School of Fine Arts in Saint-Étienne ;
The National Superior School of Fine Arts in Paris, 1966 ;
Master in plastic arts at Paris VIII, 1974.

The gray of the industrial smoke of Saint-Chamond where he was born, the black of the coal mines in Saint-Étienne where he lived, most certainly contributed much to attract Yves Charnay’s attention to colour. This quest for colour, in painting and engraving at the Fine Arts School, where this subject was not taught, led him also to explore several worlds : architecture, theatre, cinema, publishing, industry and also teaching, at the National Superior School of Decorative Arts, in Paris.

He begins his career by making (1966) a dry-point etching of William Blake’s illustration of the Wedding of Heaven and Hell for the bibliophile club « The Impenitents ». He participates in several exhibitions , in particular, at the National Library with « The Painter Engravers ».

Painted works and Graphics  
His works are exhibited in France, Germany, China.  They are in public and private collections. They form series like : « The scenography of the world » (Indian ink, 1967-1977), « Heritage », 1968-1978,  « Mordeo » (charcoal, 1977), « The art manufacturers » (pastel, 1980-1982), « The sentinels » (oil on canvas or paper, 1986-1988), « A feeling of Nature » (Acrylic on canvas, 1981-1991), « A geometrical garden » (1985-1995, Acrylic on canvas), « The silk route» (gouache on papier, 1991-1993), « Exodus » (acrylique sur toile, 1993-2000), « A feeling of nature-2 » (Acrylic on canvas, 1993-2005), « Melancholy » (2005-20011), « The path of the unconscious », (Acrylic on canvas,  2006-2012 », ...

Teaching  
Professor, in particular at the National Superior School of Decorative Arts (ENSAD) in  Paris from 1969, he teaches light and colour in scenography and in architectural design. He initiates a teaching based on the theatricality of sites, called « Spectacular events ».

Research
He participates in research work undertaken in the Scientific Committee of the ENSAD (1974-1991). He writes the publications of  « The colour notebooks » and initiates research in many fields, in particular « remarquable chromatic sequences in the works of painters called colorists ».

Design
With Jacques Fillacier he participates, amongst other projects, in the colouring of the Saint-Cloud Tunnel, 1976, in the choice of colours for the Rhône Poulenc Research Center in Aubervilliers, 1977.
In 2008 in China, he creates a colour chart for the city of Tanggu,
situated in the business quarter of Beijing.

Theater and Events
He designs the decors and the clothing in lights for artistic events and shows.  He makes the decors for the play « High Security » by Jean Genet and produced by Jean-Louis Barrault.

Cinema and television.
In 1980, he founds the film production company : « Hexagramm » which produces the the pilot show of the series « Palette », coproduced with La Sept Arte, Le Louvre and the CNRS audiovisual. He is the artistic consultant from 1988 to 1998. Between 1992 and 1998, he produces several documentaries on art.  He produces 2 graphic films « Mordeo » and  « The Twilight Tales » which both received international prizes and are nominated for CESARS.