Christine Park Gallery is pleased to present ANDRIU DEPLAZES - Works on Paper, a solo exhibition featuring five carefully selected drawings by Andriu Deplazes.
Winner of the Manor Kunstpreis 2019 and the Helvetica Art Prize 2017, Andriu Deplazes (b. 1993, Zurich) lives and works between Marseilles and Zurich. His paintings have been highly praised in recent years for their color composition, symbolism and references to art history. The exhibition's main work Gelbschwarzer Fisch (Yellow-Black Fish) is evocative of Deplazes’ canvas works, in which several layers of paint are overlaid in order to achieve an effect of dazzling brightness of color.
At first sight, the viewer is striked by the gloomy and pensive faces emerging from a luminescent background and the intense atmosphere of the works. On closer examination, these human figures cease to be something artificial. The artist succeeds in creating a contemporary and accessible visual language, incorporating gestures that are inherently human and a deep reflection of the cultural-historical sphere into a subtle abstraction.
When working on canvas, Deplazes adopts a two-step technique. First, fluorinated pigments are applied to the surface of the canvas. The brightly colored backgrounds are then covered by layers of darker paint, allowing the artist to reach effects of fluorescence and transparency that are characteristic of his vibrant works. Viewers can notice the influence and skillful use of this technique on his drawings. The colourfulness and vividness of the works reference the abundance of digital images of a young generation, whose everyday life is characterized by a vast and frequent use of smartphones and social media.
The freedom and visual immediacy afforded by working on paper allow the viewers to take part in Deplazes' dreamlike reality. Using ink on paper as a medium, the artist reveals a world populated by emblematic, androgynous human beings, encouraging a further reflection on ideas of identity and performativity.
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I like the dresses and outfits of these proud, old French women. They are often very strong-looking and crowd the streets. Even at night. That's why I put them in a fluorescent light.
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This fish is part of a series that I started working on years ago. I was always fascinated by the position that fishes sometimes take and the movements of their bodies. Is the fish leaning back? Is it doing that because it's dying? Is it behaving like a dead fish in order to protect itself?
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This piece is part of a portrait series, characterized by the hesitating gaze of the main figure. The body of the figure looks fragile and its back is covered in red. This representation reminds me of Instagram selfies and the effects and filters that we apply to our photos in order to achieve different styles of self-presentation.
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I am generally very interested in how we humans use nature. The plants, twigs and stems that are featured here look as fragile as the body of the human figure. The application of the color red, together with the pose of the body, carries sexual connotations.
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The representation of the soldier and the presence of a cross in the background remind me of awful, long speeches by military officers. The commanders talk for a very long time in front of hundreds of soldiers, who are forced to listen to them. Their speeches are centered around the genius of our military and the strength of our people.
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For press and other inquiries, please contact Margherita Usberti, Associate Director in Exhibitions at Christine Park Gallery at margherita@christinepark.net.All prices are subject to availability and tax.
All works are shipped unframed.
About the Artist
Andriu Deplazes was born in 1993 in Zürich, Switzerland. In 2016, he graduated with a BFA from the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. Since 2015 his works have been exhibited all around Europe. He lives and works between Marseille and Zurich.
His recent solo shows in Switzerland were held at Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich, and Bündner Kunstmuseum, Chur. In 2017, he was awarded the Helvetia Art Prize, which granted him a solo exhibition at LISTE Art Fair, Basel and in 2019, he won the Manor Kunstpreis. Among others, he took part in group exhibitions at Alte Fabrik, Rapperswil and Helvetia Art Foyer, Basel in Switzerland, as well as CC Strombeek in Belgium. His works are featured in private and public collections across Switzerland.
Acknowledgements
This exhibition is organized in collaboration with Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich. We are very grateful to the artist, Andriu Deplazes for his wonderful works.
