White man with red trousers by Marcel Miracle at galerie Magnin A

The show « Drawing now » has always been an easy way to find new artists. Over the years, when the contemporary drawing show was at the Louvre, I bought black and white drawings by Etienne Pressager and a burnt wood piece by South Corean artist Ji Eun Yoon. Now, it is taking place for the second time,  at Carreau du Temple, a superbly restored former Victorian market located in the Marais, which houses music, fashion and arts events.

Mount of Agony 1, 2013, by Daniel Otero Torres

Anne de Villepoix and Aline Vidal were at the entrance with their beautiful booths and many German and Swiss galleries were showing new and established artists. But what struck me the most, were the little people who seemed to have attracted many young artists  in the « Emergence » part of the show downstairs, like Marcel Miracle  who shows “White man in red trousers” at Gallery Magnin A and Vincent Broquaire at XPO gallery, who draws little men climbing a mountain and flying in a vast blue sky.

Vincent Broquaire draws little people climbing at Xpo gallery

Thierry Agnone, draws elephants and little clowns at Baraudou Schriqui galerie and Daniel Otero Torres creates imaginary characters bending under a heavy weight at Galerie Marine Veilleux. There is a brouhaha in the alleys, artists congratulate each other, everyone is happy to be there and everyone is young !

A few tube stations away at Palais Brongniart, the former Bourse (stock exchange), the atmosphere at Salon du Dessin is very soothing, soft and luxurious. Elegant collectors walk over the thick grey carpets, drink champagne at 4 pm and  vases of anemones on the stands, are perfect accessories for the very expensive and rare drawings presented by Didier Aaron, Guillermo de Osma, Eric Coatalem, Galerie Beres or Ditesheim & Maffei Fine Arts. There, I discovered French artist Erik Desmazières, who started as an engraver and now draws and paints libraries, banquets and all sorts of phantasmagoric places. His large drawings in ink go for €12 000 and I would love to have one ! ( both shows until Sunday 29 th)

Salle Labrousse at Bibliothèque Nationale Richelieu in Paris by Erik Desmazières