Adrien Neveu  - Silence et Profusion

We are very pleased to present Silence et Profusion in our Salon Vert and la Bibliothèque, an intimate and dreamlike exhibition designed to complement the much larger one on view at the Palais de Archevêché on the Place de la République in the official selection of the Festival du Dessin.

The black and white works, done in graphite pencil, reflect the atypical career of this former night porter, an alimentary work that Adrien Neveu chose on purpose because: "The night and the morning, when one is in a state close to sleep, are favourable to creativity. There's something about the night, when everyone is asleep. I know it's the same for some writers."

As a teenager, Adrien Neveu started to read comics all the time. At the same time, he discovered the work of various cartoonists. He obsessively read everything he could get his hands on, even learning English to read works that were not translated. Then he immersed himself in the history of art.

His meeting with Frédéric Pajak at the age of 27 was to be a determining factor. His specific technique interested this great illustrator and writer. As a publisher, Pajak published the young artist's drawings in his magazine Cahiers Dessinés in 2015 and then collaborated with him again in 2018. A group exhibition in Switzerland called Dessin politique, dessin poétique will follow. Classic, contemporary and even unknown artists are presented. "It ranged from Rembrandt to me," recalls Neveu with a smile .

His inspiration comes mainly from nature, from his solitary walks, during which images are imprinted in his head to resurface in the form of drawings, driven by a deep inner need. According to Adrien Neveu, the process of exploring reality through drawing has the depth of theology. He considers the act of drawing as a form of prayer.