Xavier Jallais was born in 1971.

After studying mathematics and art history, he specialized in the conservation and restoration of paintings, a profession he practiced for around fifteen years. This dual training nourishes his approach: in every old canvas, every damaged surface, he perceives not only a wound but a field of possibility.
From early on, the body became both subject and tool: masked, fragmented, projected into animal or vegetal contexts, alone or accompanied by charged objects.
Drawing on folklore, surrounding nature, and personal mythologies, he builds visual narratives where reality intermingles with fiction.
Since 2015, he has devoted his energy entirely to contemporary creation, merging introspection with observation of the external world.