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Nicolas LAVARENNE
Biography
| 1953 | Nicolas Lavarenne was born on October 2nd in Chamalières, Puy de Dôme. |
| 1978 | Meet Jean Cortese who help him make his first steps in ornementals sculptures (at first frames then furnitures). |
| 1983 | Installation of his first workshop in the Old town in Nice. His first wood sculptures were created around that time, while still his ornemental style furniture . |
| 1984 | Won the Public Award (Prix du Public) at the Biennale of UMAM in Nice. |
| 1987 | Early start of his international artistic career. His artworks are on display in New York and Los Angeles. In Cannes, he has created in trois days a giant statue in polystyrene for a movie set. |
| 1992 | « L'enragé »the enraged is an evolution in his art. The tense character, in elevation is center in a tetrahedron structure. This art piece is open the way to an amount of declinations, with the theme of tripod and then stilts. |
| 1994 | His first solo exhibition abroad took place in Geneva, Switzerland |
| 1997 | Exhibition in Saint Paul de Vence, in England and Denmark. Prince Henri of Denmark purchased, too, a sculpture : the « Grand Passeur ». |
| 1998 | Exhibition in Paris and also in a solo exhibition in urban setting, in Divonne-les-Bains, Ain. In Berne, Switzerland, installation of a sculpture « l'Archange » during six months under a bridge of the city. |
| 1999 | Urban exhibition in the Old City and harbour of Antibes, following his Public Award (Prix du Public) at the group exhibition « Sous le soleil d'Antibes ».Exhibition in the downtown area in Lebanon, in Beyrouth, organised by Fadi Mogabggab gallery, in the public garden of Saint Nicolas. |
| 2000 | Solo exhibitions in England in Gillingham Dorset, in Saint Paul de Vence, also in Switzerland, in Neuchâtel. |
| 2001 | Exhibition in France, in Paris. First travel in the United States, precisely in Boston to install a sculpture « Grand Passeur », then in New York. |
| 2002 | Solo exhibition in Carcès |
| 2003 | Solo exhibition in urban setting in Switzerland, in Neuchâtel. |
| 2004 | Exhibition in France, in Paris at Sparts Gallery. (exhibited continuously at Sparts Gallery) |
| 2005 | Exhibition in France, in Toulouse at the Bennial BEST. |
| 2006 | First exhibition in Belgium, in Brussels at the Rollebeek Gallery, |
| 2007 | Installation of eight giant pieces on water, in France, in Ornans, in front of the Gourbet Museum. |
| 2008 | - Exhibitions in France, in Paris, at Sparts Gallery - in France in Chambéry at Vaugelas Chapel - in France, in Seyssel, exhibition « Pont des arts » - in Belgium, in Brussels at the Rollebeek Gallery - in France, in Bonson, at the « Festival du Peu » - Mentor of « No-made 2008 » in France, in Roure - in France, in Carcès, at the Jas de la Rimade Gallery« Carte blanche à N.Lavarenne » - in France, in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, at the Chateau de la Napoule« Monumental » - in France, in Cap d'Ail, exhibition « No-made » - in France, in Lyon, at the Galerie du Parc |
| 2009 | - Exhibitions in France, in Paris, at Sparts Gallery - in France, in Florac, at the Galerie Arts pont de suspension - in Switzerland, in Lancy - Geneva, exhibition « Poids plume », at the Galerie ferme de la chapelle - in France, in Antibes, exhibition « Monde blanc » at Les Cyclades Gallery |
| 2010 | - Exhibitions, in France, in Barbizon, exhibition for the 150th anniversary of l'Angélus de Millet - in France, in Nice, exhibition « Si le printemps revenait »at Château de Valrose - in Holland, in La Haye, exhibition at Het Klein Huys Gallery - in France, in Vaison-La-Romaine, exhibition at la Ferme des Arts - in France, in Brigue, exhibition « Monde blanc » (« White World ») at the Galerie de la Chapelle - in Holland, in Maastricht, exhibition at the Bell'arte Gallery. - in France, in Lyon, at the Egregore Gallery - in France, in Paris, at the Centre Danse du Marais, exhibition of two sculptures : « Scorpion » and « Pirouette » - in France, in Carros, exhibition « 20 ans de stArt » |
| 2011 | - Exhibitions in France, in Paris, at the Sparts Gallery - in France, in Saint Emilion, at Château Jean Faure - in France, in Carcès, at the Jas de la Rimade Gallery - in France, in Nice, at the Lycée Pasteur a monumental sculpture - in France, in Cannes, esplanade Palais des festivals - in Monaco, at the Barclay's Club Gallery |
| 2012 | Monumental exhibition in France, in Aix-en-Provence,and at the Abbaye of Silvacane, « les yeux du ciel » |
| 2014 | - Exhibition in Switzerland, in Interlaken, « Skulp-Tour 2014 » |
| 2015 | - Exhibitions in France, in Mougins, group exhibition « Monumental » - in France, in Sisteron, exhibition « Homo in coelis » |
| 2016 | - Exhibitions « A ciel ouvert » in France, in Antibes |
| There is weight, grams and kilograms, gravity holding you down to the earth, there is that heaviness keeping you stuck to the ground, then there is abstraction lifting you above constraints, that longing which releases you from the concrete and from the present moment’s obligations there is a need to dream... dream of everything that is inscribed in a naked movement above and beyond what meets the eye to imagine you are transparent, or as light as an angel or a thought Deep within himself, as though great vanity and humility meet, Man sees he is both all and nothing He knows his gestural intimacy he knows his fragility Inscribed in a process which is beyond him, a timeless, limitless cosmos, Man sees he exists from his reflection in a lake, but as the water of the mirror ripples in the wind, suddenly, he no longer recognizes himself, and so awakens to his ephemeral existence. He plays with his limbs he waves his arms about as if to prove to himself that he can pass all tests or conquer adversity. He wishes to endure the pain of effort until he understands the sense of Elegance and Beauty. And when he nears either of these goddesses, he is filled with joy, as he knows that at this precise moment, he can guess what the word “timeless” means. CharlElie COUTURE |