Armand Avril
1926 – 2025
Armand Avril was a French painter and sculptor, famous for his unusual assemblage pieces. Associated with the “art singulier” movement, he abandoned classical painting from 1968 onwards to create a poetic universe made from reclaimed materials. Deeply influenced by African art and creators such as Gaston Chaissac, he built a playful and unclassifiable body of work.
Biography
Raised with a passion for art, he tragically lost his resistance-fighter father in a concentration camp. Working as a painter-plasterer after the war, he taught himself by copying classical masterpieces in Lyon's museums.
A stay in Senegal during the 1960s sparked his passion for collecting African art, while his meeting with artist Louis Pons introduced him to the techniques of collage and salvaged materials.
By chance, while absentmindedly cutting a champagne cork, he found his true artistic calling. He permanently gave up painting to sculpt works using broken toys, tin cans, and thousands of corks.
Exhibiting from 1970 onward in Lyon and Paris, his works quickly entered the National Museum of Modern Art. Settled in his Var studio, he produced landmark series like “Les Hommages” and “La Mer à Cassis” before passing away in 2025 at the age of 98.
“I live in a mess. It's imperative, otherwise inspiration doesn't come to me. My place shouldn't be tidy; it's like Bacon's studio. It's unlivable for others, but it's my way of living and creating.”
