Born in Tours in 1925, James Coignard was a French painter, sculptor, ceramist, and engraver. He lived and worked in Antibes. He began his studies at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Nice in 1948. He apprenticed with the painter Marchand des Raux. Coignard had an American period in New Orleans from 1985-1988. In both his mixed media on canvas and his works on paper, James Coignard is known for his vibrant colors and technical versatility and for his colorful, geometric abstractions and exceptional carborundum etchings. The artist's keen interest in mathematics is evident in all of his paintings and etchings. His work is now in numerous corporate and private collections, as well as over 20 museums including the Guggenheim in New York and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. Coignard died on March 7, 2008 at the age of 82.