Paul Aïzpiri

Early Years

Paul Augustin Aïzpiri was born on May 14, 1919, in Paris.
His mother was of Italian origin, and his father was a young Basque man who dreamed of becoming a sculptor. However, to support his family, he resigned himself to abandon his artistic dreams and became an antique dealer. Aware of the precarious nature of the artist's life, he sent young Paul to the Boulle school (Restoration section), where Paul expressed his artistic aspirations at an early age.

During the War

After Boulle, he continued his studies at the Beaux Arts. However, in 1939, he joined the army and went to the Front, where he was taken prisoner.
He escaped, returned to Paris, and then went with his wife to take refuge in the Free Zone in Périgueux. In 1942, after the German crossing of the demarcation line, he returned to Paris alone, where he tried to provide for his family's needs (his wife and two children). At that time, he only painted on Sundays. Nevertheless, in the midst of the German occupation, he held his first exhibition in Paris at the Parvillée Gallery.

Beginnings

At the end of the war, he exhibited at the Salon d'Automne and joined the "Painters Witnesses of their Time."
In the early fifties, he was invited to major international exhibitions (including the Venice Biennale) alongside artists like Buffet and Rebeyrolle.
Awarded and recognized, major international museums acquired his paintings, while in Japan, in 1966, a museum was dedicated entirely to him.

A Very Personal Style

His style, always figurative, evolved between fauvism, cubism, and expressionism, very colorful and incredibly personal, sometimes bordering on the fantastic.
In lithography, he illustrated numerous works, including Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" and works by Corneille.
His son, Paul Gorriti, is also a painter.
He passed away in Veurne, Belgium, where he resided, on January 22, 2016.

© Natacha PELLETIER for PASSION ESTAMPES