Axelle Fine Arts presents a solo exhibition of new works by renowned French multimedia artist Laurent Hours.

Over the past two years, Axelle Soho has featured the Parisian artist in several group exhibitions. After the overwhelming success of Hours’ premiere solo-show at our sister gallery in Boston last fall, his first solo exhibition in New York was immediately scheduled.

His unique paintings are characterized by focused color palettes, attention to detail and whimsical subject matter. These paintings blur the lines between the sea, the sky, the land, the real and the imagined. His works often confront the vastness of nature in relation to the smallness of the human race. In addition to his characteristic landscapes and ship scenes for which he is well known, this all new collection features explorations of lush forests and wild vegetation.

The art of antiquity, particularly ancient frescoes, has deeply inspired Hours and this influence is evident in his uniquely textured acrylic on canvas pieces. His figures are simplified and clear, a contrast to the complex backgrounds. The juxtaposition of frenzied, nearly chaotic, lines and carefully rendered, delicate shapes give the paintings a sense of depth and movement. Hours’ figurative landscapes nearly veer into the realm of abstraction; they exist in a world outside of the one we know, in a separate space that the viewer can only compare to that of a dream. His passion for the past carries over into his small-scale mixed media pieces, which he creates using homemade paper and antique stamps. These nostalgic pieces draw the viewer in, requiring close observation and thought to be fully appreciated.

Laurent Hours has had numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe in the last 35 years. His work is featured in prominent public collections such as the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux and the French Embassy in Nairobi. Hours has received numerous awards and distinctions, including the Prix Delmas de l’Institut de France in 2007 and the Grand Prix international d’Art Contemporain de Monte Carlo Prix de ICOM in 1980. Axelle New York is proud to present this all-new collection to his followers.