Philippe Pasqua

PHILIPPE PASQUA (Grasse, France, 1965).
"Caphi 12", 2005.
Oil on canvas.
Provenance: private collection.
Bibliography: Michel Waldberg, "Philippe Pasqua", Paris, Édition de la Différence, 2005, reproduced work.
Measurements: 240 x 200 cm.

Philippe Pasqua has established himself as one of the most outstanding artists of the contemporary scene thanks to an exceptional use of figuration, intense and deeply focused on the human face. Themes such as dignity, identity and resilience emerge strongly in his work, underlining the emotional charge of his plastic language. The piece presented for bidding is fully representative of his style and shows his mastery of large format, a field in which the artist has achieved remarkable recognition.

Philippe Pasqua is a self-taught French painter and sculptor who lives and works in Clichy-la-Garenne. He began painting at the age of 18 using industrial paints and materials. His work is characterized by expressive and loose brushstrokes, with intense representations of the human body, the head, the face and especially the skull, often made from photographs. These themes also extend to his drawings and mixed media works on paper. In sculpture, Pasqua is especially known for his carefully formed skulls, which he often covers with gold or silver patinas, or transforms by incorporating butterfly wings. He has also developed a renowned series of skull and butterfly sculptures made from precious metals, exploring the beauty, excess and fragility of the human condition. In 2010 he founded The Storage, a garden and exhibition space located in a former warehouse on the outskirts of Paris, where he assembles his works and welcomes visitors. Philippe Pasqua has participated in the 53rd Venice Biennale and has had solo and group exhibitions at international institutions and galleries, including Galerie Laurent Strouk in Paris-with the solo show Paperworks (2016)-Zemack Contemporary Art in Miami (2014), the exhibition Damien Hirst versus Philippe Pasqua at Galerie Laurent Strouk (2012), and a solo show at UNIX Gallery in New York.