*A portion of the proceeds from admission fees will be donated to the Great East Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.
*Exhibition title and content are subject to change without notice.

Guillaume Bottazzi was born in 1971 in Lyon, a city in southeastern France, and aspired to become an artist from early on. While he was in his late teens in Italy, he was exposed to Renaissance paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries and was overwhelmed by their appeal. Since then, he has been challenging new possibilities in abstract painting with his rich sense of color and unparalleled creative imagery, while adhering to classical techniques. None of Bottazzi’s paintings has a title, and while refusing to explore the artist’s intentions, they provide endless inspiration to the viewer and stimulate his or her imagination. Carefully calculated compositions, layers of depth and flow of time, and colorful organic forms invite us to step out of the limited space of the canvas and into a world of another dimension yet to be seen.

In addition to the 15 representative works selected by the artist himself, Guillaume Bottazzi HOPE 2011 will also feature a wall painting (mural), which Bottazzi has been actively working on since his debut, actually created on the exterior wall of the museum, and the process of its production will be exhibited. As with works on canvas or paper, Bottazzi’s unique images, created with a single delicate brushstroke, will not only change the appearance of buildings and cityscapes, but must also have various effects on the consciousness and unconsciousness of the people who live there. The briefings and workshops that will be held during the production period will also be valuable opportunities to get to the heart of Bottazzi’s creation.

When Bottazzi heard the news of the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11 this year in France, he was greatly shocked, and since then, he says he has felt a strong desire to think about what he can do in Japan and realize his dream. Bottazzi, who until now has labeled all of his works as untitled, has given permission for this exhibition to be entitled “HOPE,” which is a clear indication of his own stance.

France × Japon: ensemble pour demain | Japan and France, Together for Tomorrow

Initiated by French Ambassador to Japan Philippe Faure, the campaign “Japan and France, Together for Tomorrow” brings together artists and the cultural world to support the reconstruction of the disaster-affected areas and to provide long-term support to Japan through a variety of cultural projects. In solidarity with this campaign, the exhibition will donate the proceeds from the admission fee to the Great East Japan Earthquake relief efforts, hoping to help those in the affected areas, even if it is only a small contribution. Explore the appeal of Guillaume Bottazzi through exhibitions, public mural creation, and workshops. Please come and visit us with your family and friends.

Official website http://www.guillaume.bottazzi.org/

Main exhibition history of Guillaume Bottazzi
1971
Born in Lyon, France, he spent his late teens in Italy, aspiring to become an artist.

1990
Started as a professional painter in Italy.

1992
Created a mural painting in the Ile-de-France region.

1993
Solo exhibition held in Lyon, France.
Exhibited in Lille (France) at “Bleecker Street 1993” and others.

1994
Participated in a group exhibition at Galerie du Temple in Paris.

1995
Solo exhibition at Logos Art Gallery, London.
Exhibited in group shows in the Philippines and Taiwan, among others.

1996
Solo exhibition at Gelerie Zinzen, Brussels, Belgium.
Exhibited in a group exhibition in Durban, South Africa.
From that year to 2005, he created murals in the Rhône-Alpes region (France).

1997
Exhibited in a group show at Art 54 Gallery, New York, USA, and others.

1999
Solo exhibition at Galerie Artis and other venues in Lyon.

2000
Solo exhibition at Galerie Vekava and other venues in Paris.
Exhibited at Lineart Art Fair 2000 in Belgium.
He spent the early 2000s in New York City.

2001
Solo exhibition in Hong Kong.
Exhibited at the Contemporary Art Fair in Doha, Qatar.
Exhibited in group shows at Goldstorm Gallery, New York, and others.

2002
Solo exhibition at Zandi Gallery, Berlin.
Exhibited in group shows in Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota State University Art Museum’s Whipple Gallery, and elsewhere in the United States.

2003
Solo exhibitions at Annex Gallery, New York, as well as Brussels and Berlin.

2004
Solo exhibitions at Artist Residency Tokyo and Galerie Claude Dorval, Paris.
Exhibited in group shows in Denver (USA), New York and Barcelona (Spain).

2005
Participated in a group exhibition at Florean Museum, Budapest, Romania.
From 2005 to 2007, he created murals in Burgundy (France).

2006
Solo exhibition at Gallery Itsutsuji (Tokyo) introducing French contemporary art, including Choupol/Surface artists.
Solo exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Vienne, France.
Participated in group exhibitions at the National Center of Contemporary Art in Moscow, Russia, as well as in Lyon, New York, Indiana (USA), and Novosibirsk (Russia).
Produced wall paintings in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region (France).

2007
Solo exhibition at Galerie de Bellecour, Lyon, France.
Participated in group exhibitions at the National Center of Contemporary Art (Moscow), Centre de Cultura Contemporania (Barcelona), and others.
From 2007 to 2009, he worked on murals in the Rhône-Alpes region.

2008
Solo exhibition at Galerie Art Fort Reveur, Brussels.
Exhibited in art fairs and group exhibitions in Hong Kong, Russia, New York, Budapest, etc.
Produced wall paintings in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
He created murals in the Languedoc-Roussillon region (France).

2009
Solo exhibition at Gallery Itsutsuji, Tokyo.
Worked on murals in Auvergne (France), and the Rhône-Alpes region.

2010
Participated in Roppongi Art Night, Tokyo.
Created murals in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the Rhône-Alpes region, the Languedoc-Roussillon region, and Burgundy.

He currently lives in Brussels, Belgium.

Major Awards
DRAC, France (French Ministry of Culture), Competition for Studio and Apartment
Artist Residency in Tokyo, A.R.T Foundation

Major Permanent Collections
William Whipple Art Gallery, Museum of Southwest Minnesota State University, USA
Queen Shorough, Community Collection Art, Queen, USA
Musee de la Poste, Paris