In Cahors, the Henri-Martin Museum reveals a little-known side of Nino Ferrer: his painting

From 6 May to 31 December 2026, the Henri-Martin Museum in Cahors is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Nino Ferrer (1934–1998), focusing on a lesser-known aspect of his artistic career: his work as a painter and draughtsman.

Nino Ferrer was also a painter. Although primarily known as a singer-songwriter, Nino Ferrer pursued a sustained artistic practice throughout his life, which he developed alongside his musical career. Through this exhibition, the museum invites visitors to discover a collection of works that bears witness to the vital role visual creation played in his personal and artistic journey.

The exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, engravings, sketchbooks, photographs and archival documents. This collection allows visitors to explore a world nourished by multiple influences, where imagination, humour, observation of reality and formal experimentation converge. The exhibition highlights the diversity of his techniques as well as the freedom of his expression.

Having settled in the Lot region in the 1970s, Nino Ferrer found in Quercy (a former French province) an environment conducive to creativity. This region, where he chose to make his permanent home, occupies a significant place in his work and in his relationship with the world. The staging of this exhibition in Cahors thus takes on particular significance, resonating with this local history.

The exhibition is organised around several thematic sections: works marked by a surrealist sensibility, compositions inspired by travel and memory, as well as more intimate creations, including self-portraits and personal objects. These different sections paint a portrait of a curious artist, attentive to all forms of expression.

Conceived in collaboration with Nino Ferrer’s sons, who are the custodians of his archives, the exhibition helps to shed light on a lesser-known aspect of his work. It also offers an opportunity to take a fresh look at an artistic figure whose creative output extended far beyond the realm of music alone.

Through this exhibition, the Henri-Martin Museum continues its work of promoting artists with links to the region and placing unique careers within the context of 20th-century art history.

Practical information  

Henri-Martin Museum  
792 Rue Émile-Zola  
46000 Cahors  

Dates: May, 6th to 31 December 2026  

Full price: €9 (exhibition included in the admission ticket)