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Mathias KISS

Mathias Kiss is a French multidisciplinary artist of Hungarian origin, born in 1972 in Poissy. The freedom he claims is his driving force: thinking outside the box means creating poetic and authentic works that fit into the collectors' daily environment as much as they disrupt it.

Mathias has been expressing this need to break free from codes since childhood. His resistance to authority led him early on to the path of craftsmanship, EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND as a painter and carpenter before joining the Compagnons du Devoir in 1991. It was during restoration work on historic monuments that he learned the traditional techniques of the decorative arts. Access to these skills is as fascinating as it is divisive, and gives rise to an irrepressible desire to create.

Mathias Kiss is not limited to any medium, working with wood, marble, mirror, and indulging in painting, gilding, sculpture, and design. He diverts and appropriates objects and styles, plays with the references and perceptions of the spectators to propose works with a shifted identity.

His guest room, presented at the 2023 edition of Private Choice, is another example of his nonchalant style. The covering, entitled Out of Bed, seems to embrace the floor, blending with the pebbles and cacti that border the bed frame. Its mineral print is a direct reference to the Portor marble that adorns the facades of one of the largest jewelry houses on Place Vendôme.

The artist has had many opportunities to observe this location during his outdoor sketching sessions, shared with the Compagnons. Recognizable by its chains, the noble stone's aesthetic contrasts with the feather padding and the fabric's flexibility. This hybrid and desert-like cocoon brings a unique atmosphere to any interior, imbued with Mathias Kiss's vision.

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Biography

Mathias Kiss is a French multidisciplinary artist of Hungarian origin, born in 1972 in Poissy.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

  • 1987 Stopped school in 9th grade, and was directed into an apprenticeship as a building painter
  • 1989 Obtained his CAP (Certificate of Professional Aptitude) after three years of working on construction sites with artisans in the suburbs
  • 1990 Works as a building painter
  • 1991 Joined a historical monument restoration company as a painter and trained on the job, specializing in decorative painting
  • 2000 Left the company and experimented on his painting projects by searching for the meaning of his work, the obvious social differences between the worker he is and the artist who expresses himself, an ambivalence that prevents the worker from being able to...

EXHIBITIONS – SELECTION 

  • 2023 / Light my fire, Ketabi Bourdet Gallery, Paris, FR
  • 2023 / Sensual Objects, Le Meurice, Paris, FR
  • 2022 / Paristoutpetits, Christie’s, 9 Avenue Matignon, Paris, FR
  • 2022 / Need for Air, Gallery Elle, Zurich, CH
  • 2021 / Circularity, Galerie Bertrand Grimont, Paris, FR
  • 2021 / Vase, Galerie Alain Gutharc, Paris, FR
  • 2021 / Clouds, Gallery Elle, St. Moritz, CH
  • 2021 / Celebrations, Gallery Elle, St. Moritz, CH
  • 2021 / Flags for future, Istanbul, TR
  • 2020 / Hortus Conclusus. The Illusion of Paradise, Museo villa dei cedri di Bellinzona, Bellinzona, CH
  • 2020 / Playground – The design of sneakers, Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design, Bordeaux, FR
  • 2020 / Manifest «Mathias Kiss by Alexandre Guirkinger», 0fr, Paris, FR
  • 2019 / Need Air?, Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille, FR
  • 2019 /Sneaker Collab, Musée cantonal de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, CH
  • 2019 / Carte Blanche, Mobilier National, La Chapelle des Gobelins, Paris, FR 
  • 2019 / Caressez-Moi Fort, Galerie Eva Hober, Paris, FR
  • 2019 / Art and Material, Galerie Mouvements Modernes, Paris, FR
  • 2018 / Heritages, Centre d’art contemporain départemental de l’ar[T]senal, Dreux, FR
  • 2018 / New Lights, Galerie Léage, Paris, FR
  • 2017 / Out of Time, Maison d’Auguste Comte, Paris, FR
  • 2017 / Free the Decor, Domaine Boisbuchet, Lessac, FR
  • 2017 / SUR/FACE, Angewandtekunst Museum Frankfurt, DE
  • 2017 / Mirror-Mirror, Musée cantonal de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, CH
  • 2016 / Double Je, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR
  • 2016 / The imprint of the Gesture, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, FR
  • 2016 / In Situ, Galerie Alain Gutharc, Paris, FR
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