Frank Bowling lights up Paris with his first French retrospective
Lyrical abstraction master Frank Bowling unveils his work for the first time in France. A hypnotic plunge into the heart of his vibrant, ever-changing art.
At 91, Frank Bowling is constantly reinventing his pictorial language. A major figure in contemporary painting, the Guyanese-British artist presents his very first solo show in France, at the Hauser & Wirth Paris gallery. A rare opportunity to explore his abundant universe, where colors, collages and textures combine to create powerful, immersive compositions.
A journey marked by innovation
Frank Bowling arrived in London in 1953, and over the decades has established himself as a visionary of abstract painting. At the crossroads of European and American influences, he drew inspiration from Turner’s play of light to Mark Rothko‘s exploded compositions. But it was his discovery ofHenri Matisse‘s cut-outs, notably L’Escargot, that marked a decisive turning point in his approach to collage.
Since the 1960s, Bowling has been exploring innovative techniques: superimposition of materials, metallic pigments, marouflage and integration of found objects. His work is an unceasing quest for new plastic dimensions, as evidenced by Back to Snail (2000), which takes collage experimentation even further.
Infinity as horizon
In the painter’s London studio, fabric, paper, chalk and even ammonia are used on his huge canvases. Far from being a random process, this approach reflects a desire to fuse painting, sculpture and architecture into a coherent, organic whole. Each canvas becomes a memorial fresco, nourished by fragments of the artist’s life.
As his assistant Spencer A. Richards points out in a report from Tate Modern: “All you have to do is go for it.” An invitation that resonates with the exhibition Frank Bowling. Collage from March 22 to May 26 2025 at Hauser & Wirth Paris.
Practical information
📅 Dates: March 22 – May 26, 2025
📍 Venue: Galerie Hauser & Wirth, Paris
🔗 More about the exhibition
Also read: Circulation(s) 2025: Young European photography on show at Centquatre-Paris
