As part of French May Hong Kong 2014, Alisan Fine Arts presents a solo exhibition of well-known French abstract artist Fabienne Verdier. Born in France in the 1960’s and having studied in Sichuan, China for over ten years in the 1980’s, where she explored the beauty of traditional Chinese art, culture and philosophy, has given Verdier a unique perspective of the East and West; all this is reflected in her artwork. This is the first time ever that there will be a solo exhibition focusing solely on her prints.

In addition to the solo exhibition at the gallery, a selection of the works will also be on display at Art Basel Hong Kong at Alisan Fine Arts’ booth 3C39. Meanwhile, Alisan Fine Arts will be participating in “Wong Chuk Hang Art Night” on 15 May (Thursday) 5-11pm which is a special event access free to the public. Shuttle bus will be available from Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Expo Drive entrance to Alisan Fine Arts.

The series of original prints that will be on display are all made under the supervision of world -renowned French Master Printers Michel and Thérèse Caza who have worked with many great masters such as Calder, Chagall, Dali, Tàpies, Lichtenstein, Miro, Warhol and Zao Wou-ki. Their initial collaboration started in 1998 when Verdier was commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture to create the poster for the Festival d’Avignon. Since then, they have created more than 20 prints together. Among the different kinds of printing technique such as etching, woodblock, lithograph, Verdier particularly likes serigraphies where she can virtually create the screens, elaborate on the specific colours herself before printing on paper manually to obtain a real sense of relief in her brushstroke, which seems to be on the verge of implosion. Verdier says "A few touches of black ink break the silence and suggest possible changes to reality. The soul of the painter delights in blending in with the elements to suddenly evoke the universe before our eyes."

The exhibition will feature around twenty original prints by Verdier dating from 2005- 2012, printed in 6-8 colours or just black & white. They are very rare, especially the series of ten B/W serigraphies dated 2012, exposing a dialogue of Verdier’s abstract brush strokes with the 15th century Flemish painter, Jan Van Eyck. Similar to her paintings, each of these serigaphies is composed of the fluid movement of lines, filled with a stirring metaphysical freedom. In Verdier's own words: "I see it in a calligraphic echo, not in its genesis but in its power." Her abstraction is not a reduction of an observed world but a profound search of compressing and condensing a complexity into a form of essence.

-Alisan Fine Arts

Image: © Fabienne Verdier
Courtesy of the artist and Alisan Fine Arts