Philippe Derome grew up in Boulogne-Billancourt and in Villeurbanne. In 1956 he settled in Paris where he studied for two years with Paul Colin. From 1960 to 1970 he was privileged enough to be part of the sophisticated and artistic circles of Paris. In Paris, he met black American students and writers such as James Baldwin. Baldwin fed his interest on issues related to black American identity. Later in the 1980s he also painted themes about the black people in France. The staggered representation of recreation is another dominant theme seen in Derome's work.
1967 : Biennale du Grand Palais, Paris (« Ph. Derome peint une conversation au Flore à la manière de Jean-Luc Godart », J. Warnod, le Figaro
1968 : Salon de Mai «A very hard-working young painter who knows what he wants and worries very little about –isms and the théories and ideas of others. » Edouard Roditi, NY Diplomat
