Alexis Ralaivao (b. 1991, Rennes, France) is a painter who questions the diversity in contemporary art. Passionate about drawing from an early age, he learned to master oil painting in a self-taught way by observing the canvases of his greatest inspirations: Ingres, Honthorst, and Rembrandt but also contemporary painters like John Currin, Barkley Hendricks, and Kehinde Wiley. At 28, he embodies the paradox of a youth which oscillates between the era of instantaneity and the desire for memory in his work. Ralaivao explores ways to keep memories of youth at the time of ephemeral stories. Many of his models are from the screenshots of social media images, which meant to last only a few seconds or a few hours; on the contrary, he perpetuates them using his brushes. Alexis Ralaivao’s painting is an ode to youth, to diversity, and figurative painting.