Désert
An Exhibition by Nils Vandevenne
Opening reception

Galerie Houg invites you to join us for the opening ceremony of Desert, the second solo exhibition by French artist Nils Vandevenne in Lyon. Bringing together a new body of paintings on wood, the exhibition continues the artist’s exploration of the intersections between abstraction, figuration and narrative.

Drawing on the legacy of painters such as Mark Rothko and Philip Guston, as well as the visual language of early American comics, this new series marks a shift towards a freer and more sensitive form of figuration. Remaining faithful to his preferred support—laminated wood panels—Vandevenne carves, engraves and paints the surface to reveal ambiguous forms that oscillate between mental landscapes and fragmented narratives.

The title Desert evokes an inner territory, a space of emptiness and uncertainty that accompanies the beginning of each new work. Bright colours, visible painterly gestures and the presence of the wood itself contribute to a world that is both intimate and enigmatic.