Nicolas Lefebvre (b. 1982) is a French multidisciplinary artist who predominantly works in sculpture. Inspired by Surrealists like André Breton, his 'ready-mades' consist of a mélange of cultures and eras often drawn from antiquities and the primary arts, updating Arte Povera to fit a contemporary setting.
Read MoreLefebvre was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris and grew up well-travelled and surrounded by antiques and auction houses. His grandfather was an art collector and would regularly take a young Nicolas to Christie's and Drouot. His artist father nurtured his interest in the works of the Surrealists and Dada, while his supportive mother eventually became the central inspiration of his practice.
At 18, Lefebvre studied art history at the École du Louvre, where he met and collaborated with art dealer Jacques Lacoste. Lacoste sent him to Lima, Peru in search of 1950s furniture by the French designer Jean Royère which sparked his interest in ancient art. On his return to Paris, Lefebvre assisted antique dealers Jacques Delbos and Axel Verdoordt and from 2003–2005, he apprenticed with auctioneer Jean-Claude Binoche in the sale of pre-Columbian art and drew much inspiration from these objects which he began to collect.
Lefebvre's mother died when he was 25 which, in tandem with his own transition into fatherhood, became the catalyst for his career as an artist. Overcome by a 'compelling need to create', he was drawn to the mythic figure of Mother Earth, as discussed by writer and environmentalist Pierre Rabhi and sociologist Edgar Morin. It is this nurturing, maternal love that pulls the thread of his practice.
Lefebvre's practice draws together objects from a vast array of countries, histories, and cultures in a Duchamp-esque assemblage that celebrates humanities commonalities. His sculptures are usually produced individually, rather than in series, and always combine three disparate elements – inspired by the trinity within the Ancient Egyptian cross of life or the ânkh.
In 2015, Lefebvre's sculptures were included in the group exhibition Representing the Figure at White Space Gallery, London, which brought together an eclectic group of artists to demonstrate what it means to represent the figure and, by extension, the self. His selection sought to create an 'anthropological' view of the figure, combining allegory with anthropomorphism. Le Cheval (2016) combines the body of a horse with a large metal hoop, equating the creature with an Egyptian life-giving symbol, a process of juxtaposition that became a central aspect of his practice.
For Paris Art Fair 2017, which brought African art to the fore, Lefebvre produced a series of sculptures that combined neon and corrugated iron, along with his trademark tripartite assemblages. The neon works represent one of the few series produced by the artist, creating five copies of the ânkh to complement his ready-mades. Lefebvre's booth was staged in a manner that replicated a cabinet of curiosities, inspired by a wall in André Breton's studio.
Beginning in 2019, Lefebvre collaborated with photographer Sara Imloul to produce the exhibition À quatre mains for Galerie 127, Marrakech. Lefebvre created his sculptures within the studio at Galerie 127 with found objects from the western Morocan city of Essaouira. Imloul then photographed them in calotype to imbue the ancient objects with the sepia tone of a similarly antiquated process. The resulting images appeared aged, creating a contemporary archive 'where time and space no longer have borders.'
Nicolas Lefebvre has participated in both solo and group exhibitions internationally.
Solo exhibitions include Ready-Made, Tourrette Gallery, Paris (2021); Nature, Lucas Ratton Gallery, Saint-Tropez (2020); À quatre mains, Gallery 127, Marrakesh (2020); Homa, Gomes Freire Palace, Lisbon (2019); Don't Forget Me Mama Africa, Art Paris Art Fair, Paris (2017).
Group exhibitions include Cabinet of Curiosities, University Museum, Hong Kong (2018); Representing the Figure, White Space Gallery, London (2017); Poseidon's Necklace, Pierre Alain Challier Gallery, Paris (2015); Scenography, National Museum of Asian Arts—Guimet, Paris (2012).
Lefebvre lives and works in Paris.
Nicolas Lefebvre's website can be found here and Nicolas Lefebvre's Instagram can be found here.
Annie Curtis | Ocula | 2022
