Léo Fourdrinier’s eclectic creations fuse narrative with sculpture, giving life to a unique and original expression that challenges the imagination. At the next edition of the Art Paris fair, from April 4 to 7, he will present some of his most recent works, as well as new ones.

Coming from an artistic background rooted in theater, literature and scenography, Léo Fourdrinier masterfully intertwines these influences in each of his sculptural pieces. His creations captivate and challenge the imagination, leading the viewer to explore new universes of meaning and beauty. His work strikes a delicate balance between classical aesthetics and contemporary sensibilities, fusing the past with the present, tradition with innovation. Through his sculptures, the artist explores diverse and, apparently, little related topics such as astrophysics and motorcycles, through which he usually finds hidden connections between humanity and the cosmos.

Léo Fourdrinier invites us to enter a universe where imagination has no limits and each creation leads us to a world of discoveries. Where the border between reality and myth blurs and art becomes a vehicle for cosmic revelation. Days before his participation in one of the most prominent contemporary art fairs in France, Art Paris, we had the privilege of speaking with Léo Fourdrinier about his creative process and the inspirations that shape his work.

Léo, How did your journey begin? What led you to pursue a career in sculpture?

I first played roles during my years at the Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique. Doing theatre was a profound revelation. The interpretation and transition of the character’s emotions, the staging, the balance of the protagonists on the stage, the omniscience of the spectator… these are all notions that have determined my working methods. I remember a video in which the director Louis Jouvet teaches his actors the art of acting the real thing. The feeling must be real. This sincerity of intention, in all the arts, seems essential to me. But I moved away from acting to get my hands dirty. My first taste of sculpture came when I discovered artists like Tadeusz Kantor, Mario Merz and Jannis Kounellis at art school. I wanted to work with materials, to make sculpture. What’s so powerful about arte povera is the way it brings together antinomic elements with precision and grace to develop a thought. I’m fascinated by art’s magnificent ability to embody an idea or emotion in a form or material. Creation is a precious language that connects us to others.

Your background spans various disciplines, from theatre to literature, and from stage design to sculpture. How do these diverse influences shape your current artistic practice?

The literary or poetic text can be a point of departure or a reference point in the story I build with the forms. It’s a question of circulation: the psyche of a character shines through in a story through words and language. This language can also be formal and material, with associations and contrasts generating signs. I try to think of my artistic work as encompassing several meanings, in which my sources of inspiration are embodied. So the relationship to text and narrative underlies all my sculptures. They can act as characters that viewers confront in the exhibition space.

Your work often draws inspiration from classical sculpture, literature, and theatre, yet maintains a contemporary edge. How do you navigate blending these traditional influences with a modern sensibility?

The present is characterised by a multitude of layers in which traces of the past and heterogeneous influences confront and complement each other. I witness these cultural circulations and assemblages on a daily basis. Through my work, I try to capture the essence of this aesthetic jigsaw to generate a vision that is both personal and global, a mosaic in which my sensibility finds its place. The use of salvaged objects, removed from their usual, everyday function, combined with the representation of the human body and ancient statuary, anchors my sculptures in the heritage of forms. This relationship with history and time is essential to my artistic approach.

What other sources or influences inspire your artistic process?

Since 2019, I’ve been working with an astrophysicist friend, Arthur Le Saux, whose research focuses on the inner workings of stars. Science brings me a whole new world of perceptions and questions about our universe, and talking to Arthur about stellar phenomena has brought concrete images to an area that has fascinated me for a long time. Imagining the connections between the workings of the stars, ancient cultural heritage and the evocation of human feelings has enabled me to rediscover myths and historical accounts in a new light.

How do you connect astrophysics with motorcycles, as seen in your artwork?

It’s an interesting question because the association of the two can be surprising. It’s an association that comes from the memories I’ve associated with motorbikes since I was a child. For me, this vehicle represents the power of love, because I used to see my parents go off on adventures on motorbike. On a motorbike, the bodies embrace and hug the bodywork. I’ve always found that very sensual. Similarly, when you turn round on a motorbike, the french expression, which is very metaphorical, is “making a sun”. The sunset is also a very clichéd moment with a certain romanticism about it… In short, by association of ideas, the motorbike became a sun, and the internal mechanics of the vehicle were reminiscent of the explosive hum of a star. This part of my work, which is particularly concerned with the future, took shape in the powerful and free image of the motorbike.

Can you describe your creative process? 

It’s very instinctive and based on a principle of collage: objects, fragments, ideas, references. Words and shapes intermingle until the right balance is found. In my day-to-day work, I recycle a lot of materials, and I’m increasingly favouring reuse, for both economic and ecological reasons. Above all, ‘used’ materials have an additional narrative potential, due to the traces of their past use. I’m fascinated by archaeology, and this daily discovery of ‘poor’ objects and materials, industrial rejects and ‘broken’ objects also bears witness to a relationship with consumption and a contemporary iconography based on abandonment. Far from stopping at this simple observation, my process tends towards reconstruction.

Who are some contemporary artists that you admire?

There are a lot of them. I’ve already been able to collaborate with a number of talented artist friends, and this has considerably enriched my thinking and my perceptions. Through group projects I’ve also learnt to work as a team, to pool resources. This is essential. I have a great fascination for the work of certain artist friends, such as Clément Davout, Makiko Furuichi and Jérémie Cosimi, with whom I’ve had the chance to work but above all to learn how to look at painting. Through their work, they gave me access to their own references, which I knew little or nothing about, and developed my sensitivity. I owe them a lot.

But let’s take advantage of this interview to send some bottles into the sea. I love the work of Mark Manders, June Crespo, Lee Ufan, Alexandra Birken, Katinka Bock and Ugo Rondinone. Kisses to them!

Can you share with us details about your current projects?

I have my studio in the cultural place Le Port Des Créateurs in Toulon, south of France, and am now represented by the gallery Les filles du calvaire in Paris. Their support is invaluable. Their teams help me to develop my work, and we’ve got lots of exciting projects coming up! With the gallery Les filles du calvaire, I’m taking part in the Art Paris art fair from 4 to 7 April. I’m presenting several works, including a new one. We focused on works in which ancient statuary coexists with natural and industrial elements. The new work is a neon that theatricalises a well-known pop culture reference… We are also preparing my next solo exhibition at the gallery, which will take place in October 2024. Can’t wait to tell you more! 

What are your plans for future projects?

To be ever more curious and to continue to discover works and discourses that transcend me!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

There’s a poem that’s been stuck in my head for a few months, it inspired me to create a work: 

Amour des fantaisies permises,
Du soleil,
Des citrons,
Du mimosa léger.

Clarté des moyens employés :
Vitre claire,
Patience
Et vase à transpercer.

Du soleil, des citrons, du mimosa léger
Au fort de la fragilité
Du verre qui contient
Cet or en boules,
Cet or qui roule.

Paul Eluard, Salon, in Les animaux et leurs hommes, les hommes et leurs animaux, 1920