An exhibition by renowned artist Pierre Le-Tan, entitled ‘Black & White’ is currently on display in the Principality. On the walls of Galerie 11 Colombia hang meticulously drawn creations made with very thin and refined lines in India ink.
Son of Vietnamese painter Le Phô, Pierre Le-Tan was born in Neuilly Sur Seine and was educated by watching his father work, old Chinese and Japanese print books, and spending time in museums. He was a shy child who was constantly drawing. Since his first works of art, Pierre Le-Tan has not ceased dipping his pen in India ink. At the age of 19, one of his drawings was selected as the cover for The New Yorker magazine. He also imagined the sets of Valérie Lemercier’s film Quadrille and is credited with creating drawings for film posters, advertisements and cover art for more than 100 books.
Among the pieces on display are drawings full of nostalgia such as the Casino de Monte-Carlo, a view from Villa Paloma in 1930, the Nice Reserve and a scenic view called ‘Fantasy Interior’. The artist created works about the Côte d’Azur and about Monaco because he has been visiting the Côte d’Azur since he was a child. He believes it hasn’t changed very much and it still has something special.
Draftsman and collector, Pierre Le-Tan enjoys communicating through black and white drawings. Although he often makes drawings in colour, the artist feels that black ink suffices and he can convey the same in black and white.
Pierre Le-Tan’s drawings open a window which transports spectators to a new point of view.
The gallery exhibits drawings of beautiful destinations, but daydreaming is cut short when viewers are suddenly confronted with a door, drawn on the wall. The exhibition offers a playful intermingling of fiction and reality, and opens the doors to one’s imagination.
Pierre Le-Tan’s ‘Black & White’ runs until the 13th of June at Galerie 11 Colombia, 11 Princesse Grace Avenue, 98000 Monaco.
