Jean Leyris (born in 1939)

Jean Leyris' work is distinguished by his bas-reliefs composed of still lifes on table corners, figures on beds, landscapes or trees alone; subjects that traditionally take up more space on the canvas. A strong sense of frontality emerges from his works with points of projection, the relief of a fruit, the diagonal of a knife. He also creates figures in the round, with worked matter, which have an authority, a presence, and a monumentality that evokes Giacometti.

 

Works of art by artist Jean Leyris

Jean Leyris artist biography

Jean Leyris was born in England on June 24, 1939 to a French father, Pierre Leyris, an eminent translator of Anglo-Saxon and American literature, and an English mother, Elizabeth, known as Betty, a multi-talented artist (draughtswoman, musician, dancer). Just before war broke out, the family returned to France. The war years were divided between Paris and Savoie. Around the age of six, Jean was sent to England. His godmother, a cousin of his mother, took charge of his education. He spent his entire youth on the other side of the Channel, not without a feeling of nostalgia for life with his parents, immersed in a stimulating intellectual, literary and artistic milieu both in Paris and in the countryside, where, for many years, writer, poet and painter friends were welcomed, including Pierre Klossowski and his brother Balthus. When he returned to Paris in 1964, Jean Leyris worked for a number of production companies before setting up his own production company in London with English partners, dedicated to cinema and live performance (theater, musicals).  

Read the full biography.

Discover other artists

Contact

To find out more about our art gallery in Paris, the works available, our appraisal service or our exhibitions :

contact us