Artist Fabien Adèle Intertwines Reality and Fantasy in Paris

Fabien Adèle‘s ethereal works use aspects of surrealism to convey memories and vivid emotions. The cohesive contrast between the statuesque figures that are notable in Adèle’s works and their surrounding environments make both aspects more whole and interdependent. These figures are akin to living stalagmites and reflect their intricate properties and impressive appearance. By painting them from behind or avoiding a direct confrontation, we interpret their feelings in ways that relate to us best.

Last fall in Paris, Whitewall Projects raised the curtain on an inaugural group exhibition. Coinciding with Art Basel Paris, near the Grand Palais, the show, “From Nature” dazzled throughout a chic Parisian apartment on 37 Roosevelt 75008 Paris. Curated by Emma Donnersberg, Marion Guggenheim, and Nicolas Dewavrin, the presentation shined light on visionaries Maho Nakamura, Fabien Adèle, Louis Alcaraz, Apollinaria Broche, Mia Chaplin, Eugénie Didier, Daria Dmytrenko, DRIFT, Sasha Ferré, Rafael Y. Herman, Alexandre Lenoir, William Macnad, Kami Mierzvvinsk, Roman Moriceau, Ileana García Magoda, Pandora Graessl, and Fabien Adèle. The lush exhibition was staged by Donnersberg, enhanced by Flos lighting and Diptyque fragrances. Whitewall sat down with the artist to learn about his spirited studio practice.

WHITEWALL: How would you describe your creative practice?

FABIEN ADÈLE: Mostly painting from my imagination, thoughts, and memories.

WW: How do you see your work in relationship to nature? 

FA: I think my work is always intertwined with my own life and dreams, even when I’m not conscious of it. I grew up in a small town in the countryside, in the south of France, until my teenage years. From what I can remember, when I was about 14 years old, I used to idealize the idea of leaving the place I lived in for a bigger city, with the goal of accessing a new level of freedom.

“I think my work is always intertwined with my own life and dreams, even when I’m not conscious of it,”

Fabien Adèle

Now that I live in Paris for years, all the images that come to my mind, when I start to create a new work, are these imaginary landscapes, scenes and colors melting to the figures I make. I guess that these are always related to the natural patterns, shapes and lights that surrounded me and that I observed for so long when I was a kid. I was lucky to play and wander in this environment, It’s part of who I am and what I’m doing now.

WW: Tell us about your color and material palette. What tones and textures are you drawn to?

FA: Most of the time, I choose my color palette from the beginning of my process and it often gives me the impulsion to start or continue to work on a new composition or series. My instinct is often to go for a warm palette and earthy tones. But I love to try different textures and colors with oil painting and pigments, I feel that each work has a specific need. And it has to do with how I feel.

Fabien Adèle Unveils the Blush Paintings

WW: Can you tell us about the work that will be on view in the exhibition?

FA: These two small works are parts of a series of paintings named Blush that I have worked on for my latest solo show with Almine Rech in April. I wanted these compositions to feel intimate and to be looked at closely. The images are cropped like they are part of a larger scene.

“I wanted these compositions to feel intimate and to be looked at closely,”

Fabien Adèle

In my practice, smaller works are always a way to escape from my studio routine and experiment with materials and composition. My small paintings are often the starting pont of my bigger compositions or a way to solve a problem that I have with them.

WW: What was the starting point for this work?

FA: I started this series when I was going back to south, on the desk of my old bedroom. Last winter, I was experimenting a lot with muted dark tones on bigger paintings. I wanted to play with the light with this central form that is inspired by the shape of the windows of the building I live opposite of in Paris. They look like mirrors at night.

WW: Where do you typically begin with an artwork?

FA: I think about a work for a moment before I start. Depending on the dimensions, sometimes it has to start directly on the canvas with a raw sketch, before I miss the idea, as blurry as it can be. Or I do some sketches or an oil study, and it can evolve from one day to another until I decide it’s the right composition. But I enjoy the instinctive and not always controlled part of the process. My final painting is rarely exactly where my mind was at the very beginning.

A Paris-Based Studio of Comfort and Creativity

WW: Can you tell us about your studio?

FA: My studio is currently based in the south of Paris, until this place closes. I feel very lucky to have enough space to create now. I spend most of my time there, so it has to feel comfortable for me, like a second home. It has the essentials I need to work, large windows with some trees in front of them, a little sofa to rest, and my mess.

WW: What is a typical day like for you there?

FA: I put my stuff down, sit down and eat my breakfast or lunch in front of my paintings on the walls, listen to music or silence. I stare at my paintings for a moment to look at the progression of the works with a fresh eye. Then, on good days, I start to paint. Some other days, if I feel doubt, I have to do anything but painting until I find the right way to continue.

WW: Is there an element of your creative process you make sure to do each day?

FA: Observing everything around me when not sketching any ideas.

WW: What are you working on next in the studio?

FA: At the moment I’m finishing my residence at Palazzo Monti in Brescia. I spent the month exploring some new compositions and colors. The next step coming back to my Paris studio and working on new paintings for my next year solo show in London.