Exhibition & Sale Savornin & Vébé “Movement”

Jean-François Savornin: artist, painter and musician.

Born in Toulouse on 22 October 1943, Jean-François Savornin is a painter and the founder of the ‘héliquadrisme’ movement.

Heliquadrism involves painting pairs of pictures, such that the pictures are different yet share the same theme.

The pictures become one when placed side by side.

However, the painter conceives his work in such a way that, regardless of which sides are used to assemble the pictures, the motif makes sense and differs from the previous arrangement, and this applies to all four sides of the picture.

Wood inlay: the works are on antique wooden panels, the decorations are in metal, and the inlays feature stones.

A new, dreamlike and symbolic contemporary art form with the heart as its central theme.

Vébé: sumi-e painter

Born in Senlis, Vébé lives and works in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

Movement: the essence of life, the rhythm of every breath, every gesture, every transformation of matter.

Through this exhibition, I explore the movement of the body or of matter from one point to another in all its dimensions: linear, circular or curvilinear.

The fluid, free-flowing ink becomes the vehicle for these visible or suggested trajectories.

Every stroke, every flow tells a story of dynamism; linear movement symbolises direction and decision. Circular movement embodies flexibility, adaptation and dance.

This geometry of movement is interwoven with the profound energy of the five elements: wood, earth, fire, metal and water.

These primordial forces, rooted in Eastern philosophy, infuse each painting, creating a dialogue between matter and spirit, gesture and intention, chaos and harmony.

The exhibition Mouvement thus invites the viewer on a sensory journey, a silent passage where the gaze follows the ink as one follows the wind through the grass, the waves on the water or footsteps on a forgotten path.

My artistic practice is rooted in an intimate relationship with the material: gesture and silence.

Having been introduced to oil painting at a very young age, I have never stopped exploring, learning and experimenting with new forms of expression, whether through charcoal, watercolour, acrylic, black ink, engraving or sculpture.

Each medium opens up a different space for me, a unique way of engaging with the world.

For me, art is a way of inhabiting the moment, of revealing the invisible, of embracing the unexpected. It is in this quest for precision and simplicity that sumi-e has become central to my practice over the past several years. This rigorous art form was passed on to me by Robert Faure, a master in this art; I studied under him for seven years. He profoundly transformed my perspective, leading me to paint not the appearance of things, but their very essence.

My journey has been one of new horizons: in Paris, I studied contemporary forms such as body art and conceptual art; in Marseille, I experimented with solo art, exhibiting at ‘Festifemmes’; in China, I met artists in Beijing and Shanghai who enriched my sensitivity to the gesture and energy of the line.

As the founder of the “Plateau d’Artistes” association, I believe deeply in the power of the collective.

This organisation was established a few years ago and has already organised five exhibitions in the Alpes de Haute Provence, showcasing the unique practices of artists from the region.

Today, I see myself as a student driven by curiosity, experimentation and learning.

My work is never-ending: it is a journey of inner transformation as much as a space for connecting with others, a place where painting becomes breath, memory and presence.

Opening on 2 May at 6 pm.

Organised by the Musée de la Faïence de Moustiers-Ste-Marie