Current Exhibition- “Fantastiques”

FANTASTIQUES – Philippe DRUILLET invite ARX LEE (Li Chaoxiong)

A unique encounter between the grand master of French comic books and the young prodigy of Chinese illustration.

Opening reception: Thursday, June 15, 2017, starting at 6 p.m.

For this new exhibition, Galerie Loft has been chosen to bring together a legend of French comic books and a rising star of Chinese painting.

One born in 1944, the other in 1978

Thirty-five years and 10,000 kilometers separate them. They represent not only two generations but also two cultures, two worlds, and two unique talents.

Yet there was something obvious about their meeting. These two shared an extraordinary ability to transcend the narrow confines of reality to construct a poetic and captivating world.

Philippe Druillet does so with unparalleled force, flamboyance, and rebellion.

With works ranging from from Lone Sloane à Xcalibur, Pilote aux Humanoïdes Associés,  3D drawings, and much more, Druillet has imposed his universe and opened up a new path for the “9th art”. His contribution to the renewal of composition and the redefinition of panel layout, from the very first comic strips he created in the late 1960s, has profoundly nourished and changed the world of comics, but also that of illustration, cinema and video games.

He is a unique author who inspired both Jean Giraud in the evolution of his alias Moebius and George Lucas in the graphic design of Star Wars. 

A pioneering artist, he is now an essential part of our visual universe. A legendary figure, we are now presenting some of his more intimate works, including some previously unseen pieces, in order to showcase the talent and passion he brought to a wide variety of creative fields. These include, of course, his iconic character Lone Sloane, with the original plates from the first volume (Le Mystère des abîmes, 1966), on display alongside those from the last volume (Delirius, 2012) to reflect the 50 years of evolution in his comics book practice. There are also set designs and movie posters, pieces of furniture, tapestries, lithographs, and his greatest successes (Yragaël, Salammbô, etc). Rarer and particularly moving are the few intimate paintings straight from his studio, including a small, previously unseen “Mona Lisa” painted when the artist was only 19 years old. Today, we invite you to take a retrospective journey through his work and his life. 

But Philippe Druillet is not a man who dwells on the past. His tremendous desire to confront new realities drives him to constantly reinvent himself through new projects. This exhibition thus becomes an opportunity to invite a young artist to engage in dialogue with him through original and collaborative works.

Who, then, would be capable of taking on such a monumental figure?

If anyone can rise to this challenge, it is Li Chaoxiong.

Ce jeune peintre chinois, qui signe ses toiles sous son alias « ARX LEE », est un illustrateur de génie. Par ses œuvres il nous projette avec une infinie poésie dans des mondes perdus et des galaxies peuplées de mécaniques colorées et de pantins magiques.

This young Chinese painter, who signs his canvases under the alias “ARX LEE,” is a genius illustrator. Through his works, he transports us with infinite poetry to lost worlds and galaxies populated by colorful machines and magical puppets.

Born in 1978, at a time when Druillet had already founded Les Humanoïdes and published numerous works, he graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 2002. However, his passion for illustration goes far beyond his classical training. Through his drawings, paintings, and 3D creations, he pays homage to the comic books he has devoured since childhood.

The three major phases of his work are marked by three lunar heroes, Bilibi, Buda, and Bumi, fictional characters who symbolize his feelings and the evolution of his personality.

The works presented in this exhibition focus more specifically on Bumi (which means “earth” in Sanskrit), the latest addition to Li Chaoxiong’s universe. This little dreamer astronaut tirelessly and kindly explores the world of dreams and the heart. A traveler of vast expanses, he gently plunges into the depths of unknown lands and even ventures into lands populated by Druillet’s creatures.

Poetry and distress bring the two artists together, as do their pictorial generosity and mastery of detail. As Li Chaoxiong often says, “I always dreamed of being a comic book hero.” Druillet would not disagree. Their solitary heroes, lost in the heart of post-apocalyptic worlds or dreamlike dimensions, are like them… Heroes who, nourished by their own experiences, express a nostalgic and sharp view of our world.

Heroes with whom we love to travel, dream, or live incredible adventures.

Faced with the works of these two artists, who let their incredible imaginations escape onto the canvas, we are transported to the most beautiful of worlds… quite simply… fantastic.