PARIS (AP).- French President Nicolas Sarkozy likes his father's paintings more than his tell-all writings, Pal Sarkozy said Friday as he unveiled an exhibit of digital artworks.

The exhibit, at the Espace Pierre Cardin right across the street from the French presidential palace, features images of women, religion and his life as an immigrant.

Pal Sarkozy, 81, suggested that his son is probably more at ease with his father's latest form of artistic expression than with an autobiography he released a month ago.

"He appreciates a lot that I am back into paintings ... and I think he likes it," Pal Sarkozy told The Associated Press in an interview Friday. "He likes my writings less than my paintings."

Pal Sarkozy's autobiography "Tant La Vie," or "So Much Life," recounts much about his personal life, including his first sexual experience at age 11 and various extramarital affairs.

His artwork, which combines his sketches and paintings with computer digital enhancement techniques, were created by Sarkozy and co-artist Werner Hornung.

"I was always an artist," Pal Sarkozy said. "Even as a child I drew. When I arrived in France (from Hungary) in 1948 I began right away to work in art."

A portrait of Nicolas Sarkozy was left out of the show because its celebrity stature detracted from the other works, Pal Sarkozy said.

The French president's image does make two small appearances, however, both in a large canvas dominated by French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

Pal Sarkozy said of the top model-turned-singer, "She's an admirable woman. She's an artist herself, in music. I feel very close to her."

While Pal Sarkozy agrees that having a powerful son has undoubtedly helped his artistic career, he claims that it has also subjected him to partisan criticism based on his son's conservative politics.

When art critics "are from the right wing, criticism is good. When the critics are from the left side, it is systematically very bad," he said.

The exhibit was also shown in Spain, Holland, Hungary, Egypt, Qatar and Budapest.


Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.