Jean-François Fourtou

For this new solo exhibition by artist Jean-François Fourtou at RX&SLAG in Paris, the Hybridus family takes up residence in the glass roof. The latest in his series of hybrid figures, these ambiguous half-human, half-plant beings express a hybridity on the border between humanity and nature. Completely liberated, they reflect for the artist the culmination of over thirty years of artistic and personal development.

Jean-François Fourtou's work reflects his personal history like a mirror.

He draws his inspiration mainly from his own experiences and those of the people around him. Like his entire world, Hybridus is inspired by his life. Here, parents, children, and cousins seem to be reunited in what looks like a big family reunion. One might imagine that the setting for this reunion could be Marrakech, where the artist chose to settle several years ago. It’s no coincidence that plants replace the heads of the protagonists. This connection with nature is reborn there, in a palm grove far from the urban hustle and bustle that cradled his childhood and much of his life. The plants are those that surround him exotic plants, luxuriant vegetation, populated by cacti, aloe vera, cycads, and so on.

His Hybridus are dressed in bourgeois suits made in Marrakech. J.F. Fourtou pays particular attention to these outfits, which he designs himself. The clothes, inspired by a bygone era, further reinforce the fabulous nature of this imaginary world, where the members of this family seem to belong to another world or even another time. Their choice is not insignificant, as it corresponds to the period of his grandparents' youth, whose world has nourished his entire imagination. The characters play out scenes from that era: Theorbe Leuforbe captures time with his camera, Bobby le Beaucarnea has fun on his roller horse, and Maeva plays with a hoop.

In addition to the intimate references linked to this work, it is also a more universal message that he wishes to share through his art—celebrating diversity, the individual, but also his personal history and journey. Through this singular universe, the artist seeks to provoke emotion in the audience, inviting them to recall childhood memories and reconnect, with poetry and humor, with their imagination and innocence. He describes his work as "an invitation to rediscover a little of that forgotten world of childhood."