Memphis Co-Founder Nathalie du Pasquier Stages a Comeback With an Art Show at Pace London

Caroline Elbaor July 20, 2017 ShareShare This Article

In what is her debut outing in London, as well as her first exhibition with Pace Gallery, Nathalie du Pasquier presents an expansive show gathering over 50 works—the majority of which are new—that span the media of sculpture, painting, and drawing.

Du Pasquier is a founding member of the Milan-based design group Memphis, which designed furniture using bold colors and asymmetrical shapes during the 1980s. This aesthetic is still present in her current practice, as colorful abstract constructions are interspersed in the gallery alongside bright paintings depicting domestic housewares, such as cups and bottles. These “wooden compositions” or sculptural constructions she creates, act as “models” for her paintings. The presentation of her designs both in 3-D and in 2-D create a dizzying effect for the viewer that is at once playful and visually stimulating.

The oldest work featured in “From time to time” dates back to 2008, placing the spotlight on the shift from representation to abstraction that occurred in her oeuvre in recent years. “Through the representation, I learned about looking and transforming what I saw into a painting. The abstract work is a different kind of position. I become a builder, an inventor,” the artist said of the change.

“From time to time” comes at a moment when the work of Memphis in general—and of du Pasquier in particular—are seeing a cultural resurgence, with the artist slated to open two more major solo exhibitions: one at London’s Camden Arts Centre, and the other at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia in September.

See more images of the exhibition below: