'ILUMINACIÓN': A journey through light and art

Clémentine de Forton invites us on a journey of light and emotions, through the works of three contemporary French artists who seek plural enlightenment. This light is not only physical, but also spiritual and creative, a force that connects the worlds of Benjamin Deroche, Myriam de Lafforest and Nicolas Lefeuvre.

The next exhibition, curated by de Forton and entitled 'ILUMINACIÓN', will take place from September 19 to 28, as part of the Barcelona Gallery Weekend, at the Patricia Canceló Art Gallery (Enric Granados, 82).

More than twenty works will be exhibited for the first time in Barcelona, offering visitors a sensory experience that transcends disciplines and invites them to contemplate light as a common thread.

Myriam de Lafforest 's sculptures capture the fusion between strength and delicacy through dynamic movement that transcends the spirit. Human beings are the main focus of his works, which he calls 'Metaphors of life'. Titles like 'IMPULSO', 'CONVERSIÓN' and 'FUSIÓN' invite us to explore the depth of our existence and the search for a more authentic light. Influenced by Salvador Mañosa, who was her teacher in Spain, her work conveys a feeling of lightness and harmony. Myriam states, "The more I sculpt, the more I understand the human being; the energy of the work precedes my consciousness."

'ESPIRITU', Myriam de Lafforest

Benjamin Deroche 's work encompasses both photography and painting. In this series of black and white photographs from the 1930s, embellished with gold and inspired by the adventures of Alexandra David-Néel, the artist explores themes such as nature, the sacred, travel and poetry. Deroche recounts how he discovered, in an old Vuitton travel trunk he bought, a non-original double bottom, filled with negatives and old documents. Among these materials, he found photographs of South Africa, Tibet and other places, which he classified and restored in honor of the former owner, a stranger named Mrs. B. This woman had used the trunk for her trips to places like the Ritz in Paris or New York, among other places in the world. For Deroche, enlightenment through discovery offers a poetic journey through these photographs and documents from the 1930s, sublimated with gold made from Agate Stone, in tribute to an unknown explorer.

Nicolas Lefeuvre 's work is a journey that unites East and West, offering a sensory experience that recreates smells, sounds, lights and sensations. Lefeuvre uses a unique graphic language that evokes intimacy, influenced by oriental cultures such as Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asia, territories where he resided for almost two decades. Working with Chinese indigo ink and Japanese gold dust on paper, he creates landscapes full of textures and transparencies, where gold provides a powerful contrast to the subtlety of ink and paper. Lefeuvre, who was the Artistic Director of Chanel in the Asia Pacific region, shows in this exhibition a refined style that fuses power and delicacy with great elegance.

'Impresión Vintage Única (Tíbet, 1932)', Benjamin Deroche