Vinyl on wooden stretcher
75,7 x 56 in (192 x 142 cm)

Jean-François Larrieu was born on 28th February 1960 in Tarbes (high Pyrénées). He is a self-taught artist who is living and working in Paris. Larrieu made a spectacular debut as an artist winning the Grand Prize by François Villon Academy and the Bearnais Museum Prize by the Pau Museum in his teen. Since 1990, he has been the president of the Salon d’Automne de Paris and President of the government affiliated Foundation for Graphic and Plastic Arts. He is also the president of the Foundation of the Historic Salons of the Grand Palais and President of the Taylor Foundation in Paris since 2010. The artist elaborates through his oil paintings ramifications which starts from a basic point and then progresses like a semi-conscious exploration. The primary motifs of Jean-François Larrieu’s works come from the beautiful scenery of the Pyrénées where he was born and raised. He draws his inspiration from the colours of the land, his travels and his childhood where he unfolds a world of beautiful, elegant, delightful dreams. Amalgamating nature and architecture into vivid, colourful forms, Jean-François Larrieu’s joyful way of portraying dense urban spaces suggests a reaffirmation of literal and figurative roots. The result is exotic cities , vibrant landscapes, intricate still life filled with wonderfully rich architecture, intricate details, rising up and then spreads itself across the land of canvas. For Larrieu, imagination is the rule of the game. Furthermore the combinations are all the more variable according to the angle from which the master’s painting is observed. Through his paintings, Larrieu invites us to join him on a fabulous journey into his enchanting world. The beauty and elegance of Larrieu’s paintings will bring forth from the audience certain appreciation; where the meanders are different, the cities enchanting and the journey is never the same every time. Jean-François Larrieu has exhibited in over sixty solo exhibitions worldwide since he began his career in 1982. His work has been the focus of major museum exhibitions including the Museum of Modern Art, Nanjiang, China ; the National Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan ; the Santilana Foundation, Santander, Spain ; the Museum Sursock, Beirut, Lebanon ; the Fine Arts Museum, Shanghai, China ; The Lima Museum, Peru ; the Okinawa Garden Museum, Tokyo, Japan and the Fine Arts Museum, Bordeaux, France.