If you want to get rid of the labels on your identity, then use your own work to amaze the world, possessing extraordinary accomplishments like the legendary female artist Françoise Gilot, who silenced those who once looked down on her with her exquisite creations. This year, as Gilot celebrates her centenary, Christie’s collaborates with HomeArt to bring the “Françoise Gilot: A Century of Elegance” exhibition to Hong Kong audiences from November 26 to December 1, allowing everyone to personally appreciate this artist’s masterpieces spanning from the 1940s to the 2010s, in tribute to her colorful life over the years.
Gilot is an insightful and diligent independent female artist, and this exhibition will reveal her significant contributions to the art world, a rare opportunity. Born into a middle-class family, her father was a successful businessman, and her mother was an artist. Despite her family’s hopes for her to study law, she, who had artistic talent at the time, ignored their opposition and persisted in pursuing her interests. At just 21 years old, Gilot was already a highly respected member of the Paris School of Painting, and later at the age of 22, she participated in a group exhibition held by a gallery and signed with the renowned art dealer Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler, becoming one of only two female artists under his representation.
That period was also the special year when she met Picasso. Picasso was attracted by Gilot’s temperament and talent at the time, and the age difference of over 20 years did not hinder their development. The two of them were in love for 10 years. This was an important experience in Gilot’s life, where she and the talented Picasso inspired and grew with each other, becoming nourishment for her art, but at the same time a label she wanted to escape from her whole life – “Picasso’s former lover.” During that period, she, along with Braque, Chagall, Cocteau, Matisse, and Picasso, among other art masters, shaped and witnessed the most brilliant period of modern European art.
In 1952, Gillo first exhibited her work at the Louise Leiris Gallery in Paris, marking an important moment in her life and creative career. At the same time, she chose to separate from Picasso and raise their two children. With independence, confidence, and a talented essence, she firmly established herself in the art world. She dedicated herself to exploring different creative fields such as painting, printmaking, and writing, constantly delving into the artistic tension between abstraction and figuration, bringing a diverse range of works to the art scene. She later published a memoir titled “Life with Picasso,” in which she mentioned: if I didn’t leave Picasso, I would have been “swallowed” by Picasso, but I have no regrets about the time I spent with him.
Gilot brought extremely important works and inspiration to the contemporary art world with her endless creativity, proving that even through her own work, she could make people remember her name. She is not only an artist, but also an art critic and gallery owner, having held over 50 exhibitions and published 12 books. In 1990, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor Knight Medal by the French Ministry of Culture, and in 2009, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor Officer Medal by the French government. Gilot’s works are now held in famous museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.
The achievements she has today are all brought about by her efforts, without “Picasso’s former lover”, do you remember this great artist?
“Francois Gilles: A Century of Elegance” Exhibition
Date: November 26 to December 1, 2021
Time: 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM
Location: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Learn more: Christie’s
