Jean-Paul Romac
Meet Jean-Paul Romac — engineer-turned-consultant-turned-cook-turned-printmaker, and proof that one person can wear a lot of hats without ever losing their edge. Born in 1945, he's entirely self-taught, and his love affair with printmaking kicked off back in 1962 when he first discovered line woodcut. From there he moved into intaglio printmaking, and in 1981 he finally splashed out on his own press — a turning point that let him fully dive in.
For Romac, the real magic is in the process itself: cutting and marking the plate to create a solid matrix, which then produces a print on paper — always in tightly limited runs, never more than 20 copies. No two projects use quite the same recipe either. He moves fluidly between etching, drypoint, mezzotint, and relief engraving, working across copper, zinc, polycarbonate, wood, and even salvaged zinc plates or bits of sea debris he's picked up along the way.
Despite all that technical range, his body of work holds together beautifully — recurring themes like mythology, prehistory, plants, and female figures give it a real sense of coherence, layered with playful references, quiet questions, and the occasional nod to Chinese connotations. It's work that pulses with vitality, hope, and passion.
He's also got a playful streak: pairing engravings on themes like Brest 2012 with a tin of vintage sardines, or matching pieces with the region's famous Bigouden ham pâté — small, cheeky touches that say a lot about his sense of humor.
Beyond the studio, Romac wrote and illustrated La Cuisine gauloise continue, blending his artistic eye with his self-taught cooking chops. Since 2011, he's called Camaret-sur-Mer home, where his studio-gallery stays open almost year-round — well worth a visit if you're ever in the area.
