“When I paint a tree, a branch, flight, the forest, the human figure, all things that cannot be made in a factory, all things that are not manufactured, all of that fascinates me. It is in that place that I find a spiritual field in which I resonate, in which I surpass myself, and in which I can give expression to a certain poetry.”

This is how the painter Robert Helman described the themes that punctuate his work. He was interested in living elements and sought to capture the essence of nature. He expressed the urgent need for a new relationship with the world, for a state of osmosis between humankind and its environment. His work is universal: “Take a detail and try to give it the power of generality. That is the secret, the essential rule of my painting.”

Robert Helman’s work is structured around a series of defining themes that run through his entire creative output. They give rise to one another, overlapping and melding into each other. Each theme is all-encompassing, transcending time, techniques and media. The artist used oils, acrylics, gouache, pastels, and more, also exploring stained glass, tapestry and metal. Helman particularly appreciated living materials that echoed his own themes. In his own words: “I turned to tapestry at a certain point because wool is a warm, living element that comes from animals. If I paint on tree bark, it is because it is yet another material that has lived. I have this need for life, for a kind of life that vibrates.”

This exhibition, titled after an expression used by Jean Cocteau, invites the viewer on a journey through Robert Helman’s work, examining its themes with a view to capturing its richness and harmony.

Mathilde Gubanski Galerie Diane de Polignac, Paris