Born in 1986 in Brest, France
Lives and works in Paris, France
It is with remarkable technical skill that Jean-Marie Appriou takes control of sculptural materials—aluminum, bronze, glass, clay, wax—to envisage fantastical worlds inhabited by human, animal and vegetal figures. Through their skillfully constructed scale, his often imposing works nevertheless maintain an intimate relationship with the viewer, as if to better communicate their disturbing strangeness.
Deeply dreamlike, Appriou’s material universe is imbued with telluric concerns approached from an original perspective: that of the legendary. Horses, snakes, locusts, sharks and seahorses compose a bestiary charged with powerful symbolism. They evolve in a dream realm, a marvelous natural world that becomes a theater of striking characters. Sowers, gatherers, beekeepers and Japanese Ama divers—all represent figures of passage and transformation. The transition between elements—from the aquatic to the aerial, from the underground to the terrestrial—is one of the central themes of the artist's work.
From archaic ages to futuristic civilizations, between dinosaurs and child astronauts, Appriou produces visions on the edge of psychedelia, mixing pop culture and mythologies from Greek and Egyptian antiquity to science fiction. His sculpture combines the allegorical and the sensual, leaving his fingerprints visible on the material. He weaves a paradoxical narrative that unites the past and the future, the ideal and the perceptible, in a series of hallucinatory ecstasies.
Appriou’s work has been exhibited at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris; the Palais de Tokyo, Paris; the Fondation Lafayette Anticipations, Paris; Musée du Louvre, Paris; the Fondation Vincent van Gogh, Arles; the Musée des Abattoirs, Toulouse; the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; the Consortium Museum, Dijon; The Villa Medici, Roma, the Biennale de Lyon, the 7th Jing'an International Sculpture Project, Shanghai, the Central Wharf Park in Boston and in front of the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. He was invited by the Public Art Fund to present a group of sculptures at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza at the southeast entrance to Central Park in New York, at the Château de Versailles and at the Vienna Biennale. In 2023, he was choosen by Donatien Grau to engrave a copper plate and produce an etching, La Constellation du Louvre, 2023 that entered the Musée du Louvre collection. His works have been the subject of solo gallery exhibitions at Perrotin, Shanghai and Paris; Jan Kaps, Cologne; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Vienna and New York; Kaikai Kiki, Tokyo; C L E A R I N G, New York, Brussels and Los Angeles and MASSIMODECARLO, London and Hong Kong.
education
2010
École régionale des Beaux-Arts, Rennes, France
solo shows
2025
- La cinquième essence, MO.CO. - La Panacée, Montpellier, France
- Cosmic Clock, Tank Shanghai, China (upcoming)
2024
- Exonaut Horizon, Perrotin, Paris, France
- Whale Song, Central Wharf Park, Boston, USA
2023
- La constellation du Louvre, Musée du Louvre, Centre Dominique-Vivant Denon, Paris, France
- Gemini, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Vienna
- Magnetic, Massimo de Carlo, Hong Kong
2022
- Liquid metal dream, Perrotin Shanghai, China
- Flamingo Soup, Clearing, Los Angeles, USA
- Ophelia, Massimo de Carlo, London, UK
- Un Odissea, ArtClub, Villa Medicis, Rome, Italy
2021
- Les Soleils de Lucy, Jan Kaps, Cologne, Germany
- Event Horizon, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- Surface Horizon, Lafayette Anticipations, Paris, France
- Fire On The Sea, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zürich, Switzerland
2020
- Very rich hours, Clearing New York, Brooklyn, USA
2019
- Seabed, Le Consortium, Dijon, France
- The Horses, (organized by Public Art Fund), Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, New York, USA
2018
- November, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Switzerland
- Griffe, langue, rose et écailles, Clearing, Brussels, Belgium
- Open Space # 1, (Curated by Ludovic Delalande & Claire Staebler), Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France
2017
- Abalon, Clearing, New York, USA
- Harvest, Jan Kaps, Cologne, Germany
2016
- Raspberry Rising, Clearing, Brussels, Belgium
2015
- Salt Crystals, Jan Kaps, Cologne, Germany
2014
- Sonde D’arc-en-taupe, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
- Juillet, Sculpture D’extérieur, Vent of Forêts, Fresnes-au-Mont, France
2013
- Moyen Âge, Ecole Municipale of the Beaux Arts, Gallery Edouard Manet, Gennevilliers, France
- Keymousse Éditions, Vitrine, Brussels, Belgium
2012
- Ginger Succubes, Vitrine, Air De Paris, Paris, France
- Kinkyramyk, Piacé-le-radieux, Bézar-le Corbusier, Piacé, France
group shows
2025
- Amsterdam Sculpture Biennale, ARTZUID, Amsterdam, Netherlands (upcoming)
- Last Night I Dreamt of Manderley, Alison Jacques Gallery, London, UK
2024
- Van Gogh et les étoiles, Fondation Van Gogh, Arles, France
- White sea olive groves, Malta Biennial, Malta
- The Persistence of a Present Past, curated by Jesi Khadivi, SOCIETE, Berlin, Germany
- Faire corps, Fondation Villa Datris, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France
- Sous l'Azur, Art Explora Festival, boat travelling the Mediteranean Sea
- Eccentric. The Aesthetics of Freedom, Pinakothek der Moderne München, Munich, Germany
- Forever is Now 04, Art D'Egypte, Giza Pyramids, Egypt
2023
- Nocturnal Ballads, Perrotin Shanghai, China
- Au hasard des oiseaux, Biennale de Saint-Paul de Vence, Saint-Paul de Vence, France
- Prospettive/Perspectives, Langhe Monferrato Roergo, Piedmont, Italy
- Galerie Eva Presenhuber X Taxa Seoul, South Korea
- MAIDEN VOYAGE, C L E A R I N G, New York, USA
- Philara Foundation, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Sammlung Boros, Berlin, Germany
- Prospettive/Perspectives, Langhe Monferrato Roergo, Piedmont, Italy
- Tie To All The Earth, Teagan Art Space, Beijing, China
- French Delights, Bodrum Loft, Bodrum, Turkey
- 7th Jing'an International Sculpture Project, Shanghai, China
- Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago Culture Center, Chicago, USA
- Printed Matters, Consortium Museum, Dijon, France
2022
- Les Portes du possible. Art & science-fiction, Centre Pompidou-Metz, Metz, France
- Earthing, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Waldmannstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
2021
- La Bohème, Alfonso Artiaco, Naples, Italy
- ArtZuid, Amsterdam Sculpture Biennale, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Often Vary Never Change, Clearing, New York, USA
- Souffler de son Souffle, Fondation Vincent Van Gogh, Arles, France
- Bijoux, Fitzpatrick Gallery, Paris, France
- La Dame à la licorne, médiévale et si contemporaine, Les Abattoirs, Toulouse, France
- The Dreamers, 58th October Salon, Belgrade Biennial, Belgrade, Serbia
- Portraiture One Century Apart, Massimo De Carlo, Milan, Italy
- I've Seen Things You People Would'nt Believe, FRAC Corsica, Corse, France
- Jean-Marie Appriou, Sam Falls, Shara Hughes, Galerie Eva Presenhuber & Galerie 75, Paris, France
- Grand Ménage, Clearing, Paris, France
- Superamas, Clearing, Brussels, Belgium
- The Imaginary Sea, Fondation Carmignac, Ile de Porquerolles, Hyères, France
2020
- Anima Mundi, Abbaye Saint-Victor, Marseille, France
- Possédé·e·s - Deviance, Performance, Resistance. MO.CO. Panacée, Montpellier, France
- Dream Baby Dream, Haus Mödrath - Räume für Kunst, Kerpen, Germany
2019
- Là où les eaux se mêlent, La biennale de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Les Chemins du Sud, Musée régional d'art contemporain Occitanie, Sérignan, France
- Bêtes de Scène, Fondation Villa Datris, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France
- Parfum d’épines, Phillips X Vo Curations, Paris, France
- Cicatrices, VO Curations, London, UK
- L'âge de raison, Clearing, Brussels, Belgium
2018
- Childhood: Another Banana Day for the Dream Fish, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
- Deux sens du décoratif, Centre d'art contemporain Passerelle, Brest, France
- Smooth Transitions, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Switzerland
- Here Here – Das Ich Und Alles Anderen, Braunsfelder, Cologne, Germany
- Group Show, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Switzerland
2017
- How It’s Made, Carl Kostyal, Stockholm, Sweden
- Voyage D’hiver, Château De Versailles Spectacles and Palais De Tokyo, Versailles, France
- Artificial Tears. Singularity & Humanness – a Speculation, Vienna Biennale, Mak, Vienna, Austria
- The Leftovers, Simon Lee Gallery, New York, USA
- Medusa, Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France
- De Nature En Sculpture, Villa Datris, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France
2016
- Lanzarote, Union Pacific, London, UK
- Streams of Warm Impermanence, David Roberts Art Foundation, London, UK
- Pastoral Myths, La Loge, Brussels, Belgium
- History Made By Artists, CLEARING, New York, USA
2015
- The Great Depression, Balice Hertling, Paris, France
- L’usage des formes, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
- Mon Horizonatalité, Untilthen Gallery, Paris France
- Deep Screen, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Parc Saint Léger, Pougues-les-Eaux, France
2014
- La Solitude, Astrup Firnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway
- Elusive Earths, Établissement d’En Face Projects, Brussels, Belgium
- Let’s Play, Galeries du Cloitre, École des Beaux-Arts, Biennale d’Art Contemporaine de Rennes, Rennes, France
- Formes Simples, Cristallerie de Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche, France
- L’Écho / Ce qui Sépare, Hab Galerie à Nantes et Frac des Pays-de-la-Loire, Carquefou, France
2013
- I’ve Lost My Marbles, Athens, Greece
- No Fear, No Shame, No Confusion,Triangle France, Marseille, France
- Galerie le Minotaure, Paris, France
- Prix Sciences Po Pour L’Art Contemporain, Paris, France
2012
- Pavillon de Chasse, Galerie Semiose, Paris, France
- Etrange Été, Galerie White Project, Paris, France
- 57éme Salon de Montrouge, Le Beffroi, Montrouge, France
- BYOB, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
- Sur un pied, Galerie Sémiose, Paris, France
2011
- Nul Ptyx, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
public collections
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France
Musée National d’Art Moderne - Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France
Musée du Louvre, France
CNAP, Paris, France
FRAC Ile de France, France
FRAC Corse, France
Zabludowicz Collection, London, United Kingdom
Boros Collection, Berlin, Germany
Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf, Germany
Vanhaerents Art Collection, Brussels, Belgium
Long Museum, Shanghai, China
Dib Museum Collection, Bangkok, Thailand
Public commissions
Permanent installation, ENS Saclay, France
Permanent installation, Poitiers, France
Permanent installation, Rennes, France
Permanent installation, Neviglie, Italy
Temporary installation, Public Art Fund, New York, USA (2019-2020)
Temporary installation, Central Wharf Park, Boston, USA (2024-2025)
Temporary installation, Art D'Egypte: Giza Pyramids, Egypt (2024)
