To resonate with William Blake’s retrospective at Tate Britain, Siegfried Contemporary is proud to present the exhibition “Ah Sunflower! Weary of time”, by French artist Jean Marie Appriou.
The title “Ah Sunflower! Weary of time” is borrowed from one of William Blake's most famous poems ‘Ah! Sunflower’, published as part of his collection ‘Songs of Experience’ in 1794.
Similar to Blake’s poems and watercolours, Appriou offers a liberating counterpoint to the art of our times and immerses his audience into a parallel universe with a wider poetic horizon. As the title suggests, the exhibition represents the passing of time, and incorporates sculptures made out of aluminium and glass.
Born in Brest in 1986, Appriou lives and works in Paris where he has established himself as one of the most prolific young artists of his generation. After his graduation at Ecole des Beaux Art in Rennes, Appriou decided to work solely in the medium of sculpture. Through his artistic process and his unique approach to sculpture, he explores an expansive range of cultural references: from ancient Egyptian Gods, pop music, medieval or early Renaissance portraiture as well as Greek and European mythology, particularly that of Brittany where he grew up.
Jean Marie Appriou’s oeuvre has been exhibited extensively and internationally around the world in important institutions and galleries. Amongst his most important recent exhibitions are: in 2019, “The Horses”, New York Central Park, a public installation, at Doric C. Freedman Plaza, and a two person show at the Consortium in Dijon (opening in November); 2018, “Open Space #1”, a solo presentation at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris; 2017, “Voyage d’Hiver”, an important group show in the park of the Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, France; 2014, “Sonde d’Arc en Taupe”, a solo show at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France.
His work is represented in some major collections, such as the Musée d’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, FR; Zabludowicz Collection, London, UK; Vanhaerents Art Collection, Brussels, BE, to name a few.