The paintings depicting green benches form a subcategory within the collection. They allow the artist to portray the landscape from the perspective of one or more viewers — here, a couple seen from behind, contemplating the Côte des Basques. Centered on anonymous figures, these paintings also suggest stories. Le Poème de la Mer becomes a novel, with the benches serving as its chapters. This work belongs to the Le Poème de la Mer series, where Anaïs Zhang paints figures often seen from behind, absorbed in the presence of the ocean, frequently seated on the iconic benches of the urban landscape. The artist does not depict the sea directly, but rather the landscape as it is experienced through the gaze of the passerby. These works, imbued with poetry and quiet narration, transform contemplation into an emotional experience, where color becomes the vehicle for reverie, solitude, and an inner dialogue with the infinite.
