Mark Hachem Gallery Paris is exhibiting a new solo show by Jean Boghossian titled, ‘Unveiling the Elemental.’ The exhibition highlights the artist’s mastery of fire, texture, and form through three distinct series: ‘Rhythms,’ ‘Broken Burnt Lines,’ and the seminal ‘Wave.’
While ‘Rhythms’ orchestrates a dance of fire and paper to create captivating textured landscapes, and ‘Broken Burn Lines’ flirts with the ephemeral through delicately burnt layers, it is in ‘Wave’ that Jean Boghossian takes the viewer on a maritime odyssey. This wave, born from an inspired blend of plaster and pigment, which also unintentionally pays homage to Hokusai, captures not only the sea but also represents the fundamental elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Anchored in the maritime but infinite scope, ‘Wave’ symbolises Boghossian’s relentless exploration of nature’s ever-changing canvases and the transformative energy of the elements.
Jean Boghossian, a versatile abstract artist, incorporates various degrees of burn degradation in his recent artworks, employing fire as an invasive and somewhat violent method to explore harmony. Recognising that the chaotic nature of flames and smoke can never be controlled, Boghossian engages in a dance with fire, guiding it until he deems the balance to be just right.
About Jean Boghossian
Born in Aleppo in 1949, Boghossian hails from a family of jewellers, where he worked while pursuing his studies in Economics and Sociology at the University of Saint-Joseph in Beirut. The outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 compelled him to leave his home country and settle in Belgium. It was over three decades ago that Boghossian decided to enrol in the Academy of Fine Arts in Boitsfort, Brussels while continuing to oversee the family business. In 1992, he, along with his brother and father, established the Boghossian Foundation. Internationally, Boghossian stands out as one of the few artists who experiment with fire and smoke in their works. Fire, his chosen artistic language, is applied through a variety of torches. Although his art transitioned to abstraction a little over a decade ago, Boghossian’s creations may evoke a contemporary perspective on the Zero movement and Fluxus, even though he claims no allegiance to any specific artistic movement.
Location: Mark Hachem, Paris
Dates: September 15 – 28, 2023