Georges Mathieu was a self-taught painter known for his abstract paintings and his contribution to the Lyrical Abstraction movement. This retrospective exhibition showcases his journey as an artist, from his early landscapes and portraits to his innovative drip techniques and performative painting. Mathieu's work has been exhibited internationally and is held in prestigious museums around the world.
About the Artist
Georges Mathieu was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, in 1921. A self-taught painter, he began his artistic career in 1942. Mathieu’s early abstract investigation consisted of amorphous shapes and experimentation with drip techniques. In 1947 he resettled in Paris, and quickly became attracted to the works of artists such as Camille Bryen and Alfred Otto Wolfgang Schulze, which he referred to as Lyrical Abstraction. Within his first year in Paris he had organized L’imaginaire at Galerie du Luxembourg to promote the Lyrical Abstraction movement. Mathieu’s own works were closely associated with Tachiste painters (from the French tache, meaning blot or stain), often squeezing paint directly onto the canvas and emphasizing the necessity of rapid execution to harness intuitive expression. He identified his work as aligned with abstract history painting, as many of his titles refer to events in French history. Mathieu’s artistic experimentation expanded into performance art, often executing large canvases before an audience.
Founded by Dr. Adrian Cheng in 2010, K11 Art Foundation is a non-profit organisation in Hong Kong dedicated to fostering the development of Chinese contemporary art. In pursuing our mission, we are committed to supporting artists and young curators through K11 Art Foundation’s exhibitions, artist residencies, and educational programmes. We also actively establish partnerships with leading art and cultural institutions around the world, collaborating with curators and other industry specialists to create impactful cross-cultural exchange and contribute to the expanding global contemporary art discourse.
