AUGUSTE

"Art is not serious", says Auguste!

Not one, not two, not three... forty or so contemporary art galleries in the four corners of the globe are exhibiting this unclassifiable artist straight from France. Alexandre Thibault, better known by his pseudonym Auguste, retains the soul of the teacher he has never ceased to be. True to his roots in the Périgord region, he set up the Auguste Endowment Fund, a philanthropic initiative aimed at democratising access to culture for young people in rural areas, thus affirming his commitment to artistic education beyond workshops and galleries.

Walking through his studio, which looks like a New York loft with its red bricks and steel structure, is an invitation to travel. On the concrete, marked by paint splatters, sits a sculpture ready to fly to Dubai, wrapped in bubble wrap. Next to it, on the wall, an assemblage of recently completed canvases is about to take off for London, while other creations, still in gestation, promise to light up a Tokyo gallery in early 2023. From Los Angeles to New York, Auguste's works have found their way into the homes of celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian and Rafael Nadal. Ben Affleck, meanwhile, has a particular affection for helmets inspired by the Star Wars universe, specially commissioned by Karl Lagerfeld for a Chanel fashion show that still resonates in the collective imagination.

From the classroom to international galleries

Once a schoolteacher, Auguste slipped, almost by chance but with a consuming passion, into the shoes of an artist whose influence now extends beyond our borders. From Paris to Tokyo, via Los Angeles, New York and Miami, his art has found refuge in exceptional venues such as the Galerie Bel-Air Fine Art. The pseudonym Auguste, an echo of the Roman emperor, also resonates as a tribute to years of joyful study and discovery.

Under the motto "Art Is Puzzle! Art is everywhere", Auguste shapes aluminium to give life to works that combine flatness, emptiness and 3D. Thanks to the precision of laser cutting, he shares stories populated by iconic figures, from Lincoln to Mickey Mouse, from Marilyn to the Coyote, inviting collectors and admirers to find their own Madeleine de Proust in each creation.

With a predilection for bold mixes of materials - resin, neon, spray paint, car varnish and acrylic paint - Auguste is constantly exploring new aesthetic horizons. He even ventures into the creation of 3D Coyote ball sculptures, reaching heights of up to 2.5 metres, vibrant with an incessant desire for innovation and diversity.