Galerie Taménaga
Paul Aïzpiri , France
Aïzpiri - AR 55 - Maïa, 2006 - 116 x 89 cm (50F) - HD - Galerie Tamenaga
From May 23 to June 15, 2024, Galerie Taménaga will host an exhibition dedicated to the French artist Paul Aïzpiri. The exhibition will offer a deep immersion into his unique history, marked by significant encounters and transcultural influences.
Upon Kiyoshi Taménaga’s arrival in Paris in 1957, fate brought his path together with the works of Aïzpiri, then exhibited at the Paul Pétridès gallery, sealing an unbreakable friendship between the two men. This friendship, which blossomed through exchanges between France and Japan, opened up new creative perspectives for Aïzpiri, thanks to the inspiration he drew from Japanese culture.
The exhibition will trace this fascinating artistic journey, shedding light on the progressive transformation of Aïzpiri’s work, from the density of still lifes in the 1950s to the dazzling luminosity of his later landscapes and portraits. The artist’s favorite themes, such as landscape, still life, and portraiture, will flourish in all their splendor, infused with memories of Saint-Tropez, the French Riviera, Venice, and Montparnasse.
But beyond his style and subjects, Aïzpiri’s most enduring characteristic was his consistency and independence from the artistic trends of his time. While the debates between abstraction and figuration roiled the art world, Aïzpiri remained true to his vision, refusing to conform to ephemeral fashions. Consequently, he will remain in the history of 20th-century art as an authentic and timeless painter.
Visitors to this exhibition will be invited on a journey through time and space to discover the evolution of a passionate and free artist, whose work will continue to shine far beyond geographical and artistic boundaries.
Solo show of Paul Aïzpiri
From May 23 to June 15, 2024
The gallery
Founded by Kiyoshi Taménaga in Tokyo in 1969, Galerie Taménaga quickly expanded its reach by opening two more spaces in Osaka and Paris in 1971. In 2021, fifty years to the day after the inauguration of its Parisian branch, the gallery established a new branch in the city of Kyoto.
Galerie Taménaga was a pioneer as the first Japanese art gallery specializing in Western masterpieces. Its collection boasts numerous masterpieces by impressionist and modern artists such as Bonnard, Chagall, Derain, Dufy, Picasso, Redon, Renoir, Utrillo, Van Dongen, and many others. Today, it continues its role in representing and advising collectors.
In parallel, the gallery is also dedicated to the discovery and support of contemporary artists, including names now recognized such as Chen Jiang-Hong, Takehiko Sugawara, Kyosuke Tchinaï, Tamihito Yoshikawa, as well as international artists like the American Tom Christopher and the Spanish Lorenzo Fernandez.
More recently, the gallery has passionately committed itself to shining a light on the work of young Japanese talents. The works of some of these newly graduated artists are considered true revelations, positioning the gallery as one of the major advocates of the contemporary Japanese art scene.
Gallery artists
Paul Aïzpiri, Jean-Pierre Cassigneul, Chen Jiang-Hong, Tom Christopher, Naoya Egawa, Lorenzo Fernandez, Maiko Kitagawa, Wataru Ozu, Nuit Sano, Takehiko Sugawara, Kyosuke Tchinai, Daiya Yamamoto, Tamihito Yoshikawa, Yuichiro Sato
