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There are weeks when he does nothing but draw. And others, entirely different, when he does nothing but paint.
Eric Manoukian never mixes the two: it’s this duality, embraced from the very beginning, that gives its title to the exhibition he is bringing to Domaine de Rocheville, in Parnay: “Bipolaire! An artist with two facets.” Until October 10, 2026, close to 70 works fill the domaine’s great hall, spanning knife paintings and ballpoint pen drawings.
Eric Manoukian, a artist working in two modes
Now a retired designer, Eric Manoukian began drawing at a very young age, in a visual arts track at high school, before going on to study at the Beaux-Arts. Throughout his career, he never stopped painting alongside his profession.
Since then, his work has traveled: group exhibitions in Lyon, Paris and Hong Kong, solo exhibitions in Lyon, Paris, Amsterdam and Monaco.
It was around age 30 that he adopted the palette knife for painting — a turning point that still shapes his entire practice today. Through it, he discovered a relationship to the material very different from the brush, and almost as direct as drawing itself.
Knife or ballpoint pen: two distinct worlds
Skies painted with a knife
On one side, oil paintings on canvas, ranging from small format (20 x 20 cm) to large format (116 x 81 cm), entirely worked with a palette knife, with the sky as the sole subject. The knife allows for a quick, energetic, almost physical gesture, where texture and movement take precedence over detail.
Through the harmony of colors, Eric Manoukian shapes moods that are by turns calm and turbulent: each canvas becomes an atmosphere in its own right.
Portraits drawn in pen on newsprint
On the other side, ballpoint pen drawing, which by contrast demands precision and concentration, occasionally coming close to the look of a scribble.
Some drawings are made on plain white paper, others on newspaper — a choice that is far from incidental. For several years, Eric Manoukian worked nights as a newspaper deliveryman, which left his days free to paint. He got the idea of drawing directly onto the newspapers he had on hand, sometimes echoing the subject of an article, sometimes not.
Portraits, hands, faces caught in a fleeting moment: these works are made using just three pen colors — red, green and blue — never black. Layered together, these three colors create a vibration the eye perceives without quite understanding where it comes from: black emerges from their combination.
Drawing has accompanied Eric Manoukian for as long as he can remember — including during the years he worked in applied arts. “When I’m bored, I draw,” he says simply.
Series rather than standalone works
Eric Manoukian works mainly from photographs, but not at random: he first chooses a title for a series, then selects the images that will embody it.
This is how several powerful series came to be, among them “Effacer la douleur” (Erasing the Pain), which explores resilience, a series devoted to children (“Smiling Baby,” “Crying Baby”), “Nos mains” (Our Hands), inspired by a cellist’s gesture, and the crying faces that make up “Les Cris” (The Cries). This way of working gives each series a strong, almost narrative coherence.
For his exhibition at Domaine de Rocheville, he even created a new series of drawings depicting hands holding wine glasses.
Among the portraits on display, visitors will also recognize a number of well-known figures, musicians in particular: John Lennon, Lee Miller, Vanessa Paradis, Iggy Pop, Nina Simone…
Nearly 70 works to discover
For this exhibition, the great hall of Domaine de Rocheville gives Eric Manoukian the space he needs to present, for the first time side by side, his two worlds: around thirty drawings and forty paintings, including 29 small-format works devoted to his sky series.
Behind these two techniques, which appear to be complete opposites, lies the same intention: to stir emotion in whoever looks at them.
Rocheville: organic wine and art, in the heart of the Saumur region
For the duration of the exhibition, the hall at Domaine de Rocheville is dressed in Eric Manoukian’s work, offering visitors an added experience alongside the domaine’s usual guided tours and tastings.
Overlooking the Loire Valley, in the heart of the Saumur vineyards, the domaine has been producing four certified organic AOP wines since 2004: a fine-bubbled Crémant de Loire, fresh and elegant Saumur Blanc wines made from the Loire’s chenin blanc grape, a sparkling rosé PetNat called Magic, and Saumur Champigny reds made from cabernet franc, ranging from light to more structured, to pair with any meal.
Come taste Rocheville’s wines or tour the domaine, and leave with travel memories — and a few bottles.
Practical information
Exhibition & Sale: “Bipolaire! An Artist with Two Facets” Eric Manoukian, painter and draughtsman
- Dates: September 3 to October 10, 2026
- Location: Domaine de Rocheville — Chemin de Béniquet, 49730 Parnay, France
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm
- Free admission