Cahiers, 2023
Arpaïs Du Bois
In her practice, Arpaïs Du Bois approaches man’s being-in-the-world in a very personal and intimate way. Her drawings and texts, at the same time sharp and ambiguous, are playful and poetic observations of the world that surrounds her. Amidst the abundance of impressions that come to us every day, the drawings of Du Bois create a moment of stillness and reflection. Her journal-like books show us syntheses of images, expressing as much as possible with a minimum of resources. They offer the viewer a resting point, a way to frame the chaotic reality. In At the still point of the turning world, a selection of drawings is presented in a series of parallel vitrines. Though carefully selected to allow for a number of associations or themes to surface, their presentation in the original cahiers point to an incredible richness of drawings, an infinite number of potential combinations possible, and above all, a compulsive daily practice that firmly anchors Du Bois’ existence in this world.
2023 - 16 drawings, format 25 x 19 cm
Courtesy the artist and Gallery FIFTY ONE.
Arpaïs Du Bois
°1973, Ghent, Belgium
Arpaïs Du Bois is a drawer/thinker, a thinker/writer, a writer/drawer. Her practice in text and image mainly finds its way into diary-like cahiers in which Du Bois, as a thorough observer, shapes her reflections on the world. At times, she explores mid- and large-scale drawings and paintings on paper as well. Du Bois’s work, the subject of ten publications to date, has recently been exhibited in solo exhibitions at Gallery FIFTY ONE (2023, 2021) and Rossicontemporary (2019), and in group exhibitions at Finis Terrae, Antwerp (2023), A PRO POT, d'Apostrof, Meigem (2023), PROMESSE, Guidel, FR (2022), 'Allez Allez', Paris, FR (2022), Salon Blanc, Ostend (2022), Because of Vincent, Stedelijk Museum, Breda, NL (2021), L'image Conjuguée, Mill - Musée Ianchelevici, La Louvière (2021), and Zwart Huis, Knokke-Heist (2021). Arpaïs Du Bois studied at Sint Lucas Antwerp School of Arts. She lives and works in Antwerp, and is represented by Gallery FIFTY ONE.