Geoffroy Pithon

The work of French artist Geoffroy Pithon offers viewers an immediate sense of joy and delight. He traverses the boundaries between graphic design and fine art, creating works on paper that are rich in vibrant color and abstract form. “I want my work to bring the same instant satisfaction as the first bite of a perfect dish at a fine restaurant,” the artist says. True to his words, his paintings invite viewers into a festive visual space that is playful, exuberant, and full of energy.

Geoffroy Pithon studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and began his career as a graphic designer. He built a distinctive trajectory by collaborating with global brands such as Hermès, eventually transitioning into painting by layering hand-drawn images over posters. Today, he actively exhibits throughout Europe, with shows in cities such as Paris, Brussels, and Marseille.

His practice breaks away from the conventions of traditional painting. Instead of using canvas, he paints on recycled paper, hand-mixing pigments and acrylic binders to create his own colors. The fast-drying nature of his paints, combined with the smooth surface of the paper, results in surprising textures and bursts of vibrant energy. At the bottom of each piece, he often leaves a handwritten phrase—like an epilogue or a line of lyrics—that adds a lyrical undertone to the work and invites more profound reflection.

In 2021, around the time his wife gave birth to their first child, Pithon made a pivotal decision to become a full-time artist. He describes art “not as a career choice, but as a vital condition of living.” The gentle yet unwavering sense of optimism that pervades his work stems from this existential belief in art as a necessary force in life.

At this year’s Kiaf, Pithon unveils a new series inspired by , a novel by Chinese writer Zhang Guixing. His work draws on the novel’s magical realism and vivid imagery—ripened fruits, mythological masks, and intense expression of vitality—forming the central motifs of the paintings. “I believe the pleasure I feel while working naturally seeps into the forms of the painting and can be passed on to the viewer,” the artist states.

Polyphonie aux Papillons, Acrylic and mixed media on blueback paper, 118x165cm, 2025