Biography

French painter/sculptor. Born in Paris. From 1912, he studied painting at such schools as the Royal Academy of Arts in London. In 1917, he went back to France after being called up to the French Army. In 1923, he held his first solo exhibition. From that time, his style of expression changed from figurative to abstract. From around 1930, he suspended his creative activity, and then during WWII, he participated in the French Resistance against the Nazis. He hid himself in the suburbs of Paris, and then began to create the “Otages (Hostages)” series in 1943. In 1945, this series was exhibited at Galerie René Drouin (Paris), and received great responses. His works are characterized by a rough materiality. He was recognized as a pioneer of Informal Art, which created a new trend in Postwar art. He received the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale held in 1960.