Philippe Mayaux, one of 25 drawings in ink at galerie Loevenbruck

“Drawing now” traditionally takes place at Carreau du Temple in the Marais at the same time as Salon du Dessin. It is a lovely fair of contemporary drawings. While AlineVidal was showing Herman de Vries and Morrelet, and Anne de Villepoix many small pieces by Swiss born Annette Barcelo, I found three artists I had never seen before.

Juul Krajier, sans titre, 2016-2017, courtesy Galerie Papillon

The fascinating 46 year old Dutch artist Juul Krajier, whose charcoal drawings of a head covered in Beas are exhibited at Galerie Papillon until May 6, riveted many visitors at the fair ( 5 000€).  Agathe Pitié, and her Trojan Horse at Michel Soskine gallery in Madrid pleased me. Philippe Mayaux showed twenty five ink drawings of fantasmagoric animals as a tribute to Gilles Aillaud at Galerie Loevenbruck, (from 1250€).

Claire Morgan, The Beauty and the Beast, sculpture, 2012

The other artist I was happy to see again is Claire Morgan a fascinating British artist from Belfast. At 36, she became instantly famous with an early exhibition at Palais de Tokyo in 2008 and a strong backing from her gallery Karsten Greve. She works only with organic materials collecting flies and pistils. The nets she ties for birds or rabbits are aerial and the poetry that comes out of her pieces is magical.  She is presently exhibited at Fondation Francès in Senlis (North of Paris) where twelve of her installations and drawings are shown until December 23.

Claire Morgan, The air that we breathe, 2014, at Fondation Francès in Senlis

This is where I discovered her for the first time and it is well worth the short ride. The private foundation is located in a tiny house near Senlis’s medieval Cathedral and the charm of the show is well fitted for the artist who is a poet and an animal lover.

Agathe Pitié, Trojan horse, 2016

Since “Drawing now” is over, it is not too late if you are interested, to go and see the drawings in the galleries.