Cristof Yvoré: An Ode

In Spring 2017, M WOODS will present a retrospective exhibition of the work of artist Cristof Yvoré (1967 – 2013). It will be the first ever institutional exhibition of Yvoré’s work in Asia, as well as the artist’s first solo exhibition outside of Europe and North America. Cristof Yvoré: An Ode at M WOODS will present paintings from many stages of the French painter’s career, ranging from his early experiments with space to the heavily impastoed floral works he made before his death at the age of 47.

For years, living in Marseille, Cristof Yvoré painted the same motifs repeatedly: corners of rooms, daylight thrown against bare walls, flowers, curtains, plates and bowls on tables. These commonplace subjects became the site for the artist’s restless exploration of the physicality of paint, resulting in heavily oversaturated works whose weight and texture estrange the viewer from any assumed familiarity with the objects depicted. With an intensity of focus reminiscent of Giorgio Morandi, Yvoré worked at his still lifes and interiors persistently, and without any apparent reference to contemporary artistic developments. Moreover, he painted from memory, not reality, imbuing his subjects with all the subjectivity and uncertainty of remembered things. Occasionally, Yvoré’s works are interrupted by mysteriously placed objects or an unconventional sense of gravity, drawing attention to the metaphysical within an otherwise ordinary scene.

Curated by Wanwan Lei, Cristof Yvoré: An Ode is the second in a series of major solo exhibitions at M WOODS, whose mission is to promote emerging or overlooked artists while illuminating new perspectives on established ones. The first exhibition in this M WOODS series was Andy Warhol: Contact (August 6, 2016 – January 7, 2017).