Pierre Célice
Pierre Célice was born in 1932. As son of a lawyer, he first studied law, but focussed very soon on drawing and painting. His early work was figurative and influenced by Henri Hayden, whom he described as his teacher.
Pierre Célice encountered his first successes between 1950 and 1960 with his exhibitions, including at Simone Badinier's gallery. Very rapidly, his figurative art developed into something more synthetic, and colour would gradually assume an increasingly essential place. He created new compositions of lines and colours. On his way to abstraction, but not quite there yet....
In the early 1970s, Pierre Célice worked in the studio of lithographer Peter Bramsen, where international Cobra artists also converged. There, he discovered the work of Bram Van Velde, Pierre Alechinsky, Asger Jorn, Karel Appel, and others. At this time, his figurative work came to an end.
Yet, the path he chose was not the easiest. Pierre Célice doubted about his œuvre and his signature. His finished paintings did not correspond to his vision of art. Dissatisfied with his output, he burned and destroyed several works. It is only at the end of the 1970's that he reached a point of satisfaction. In 1982, he moved back to Paris and participated in several group exhibitions. More exhibitions devoted to his work followed, in France and abroad.
Pierre Célice died on April 5th 2019 in his home in Paris.
