Alain Bonnefoit (1937) - Senza titolo

A fine original work by Alain Bonnefoit, watercolor on card, 1986, measuring 22 x 16.5 cm.
Alai Bonnefoit is an artist born in Paris in 1937. After attending the École des Arts Appliqués and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he enrolled in the “Engraving and Sculpture” section of the École des Beaux-Arts in Brussels in 1959. In 1961, he studied for two years under the sculptor Volti, who would later have a strong impact on his art. In the 1960s, Bonnefoit moved to Tuscany and began experimenting with different techniques: from mixed media on paper to oil, watercolor, lithography, Japanese sumi-e ink painting, and sculpture, all with the sole aim of bringing to life endless variations depicting the female body in an atmosphere of calm eroticism. He used Matisse’s flowing line, Arp’s sculptural quality, and Dufy’s dancing spontaneity, rendered with Tuscan light and tones. In the early 1970s, Bonnefoit learned the sumi-e technique following his 1973 trip to Japan, using brushes and ink to create images with a single, carefully considered stroke. With this technique, he painted a world of lines and bodies, bringing fragile yet resilient creations to life. From the late 1980s, notable exhibitions were held in Paris, Vichy, Angers, Toulouse, Sion, Le Havre, Bièvres, Metz, Juan-les-Pins, Venice, Pisa, Florence, Milan, Siena, Lille, Grenoble, Nantes, Marseille, Strasbourg, Reims, and Brion. From the early 1990s came an artistic breakthrough: requests for solo exhibitions multiplied rapidly, as did his critical and popular success. Notable exhibitions took place in Tokyo, Rome, Paris, Lausanne, Osaka, Orléans, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Martigny, Florence, Cannes, Brussels, Kyoto, Chaumont, Lyon, Certaldo, Bordeaux, Seoul, Ludwigshafen, Siena, Pietrasanta, Tahiti, New York, Kwangju, and Naples. His works are held in Japanese, Korean, and French public institutions. To date, he has held more than 200 solo exhibitions around the world. He currently continues to live between France and Italy, which he now considers a second homeland.