Christian Lhopital

Drawing, a practice Christian Lhopital adopted early in his career, has become the core of the artist’s work. Crayon, watercolors, ink wash, collage, acrylic, graphite powder, gesso – he picks from a wide range of techniques, choosing with great care, and most often combining them. Series by series, he switches between formats with free-flowing strokes, welcoming random occurrences and accidents. He sometimes creates wall drawings like the one presented at Les Abattoirs, the starting point of which is the large Spéciales 3 drawing (2009).

Using recurrent and obsessive motifs, such as bodiless heads or headless bodies, eyes floating as if reduced to themselves, Christian Lhopital creates a world where unspeakable fears and unruly desires arise. An uncertain world, as opaque as it is fragile. Across his work, a disconcerting inner theatre comes to life starring a world of funny or terrifying little creatures that seem to pop straight out of a dream or nightmare.

At Les Abattoirs, he will create a wall drawing. Fragile and ephemeral, it is the polar opposite of a mural, yet another variation in his elusive fantasy world. Christian Lhopital emphasizes, "The more I draw, the freer I feel. Drawing takes me wherever it pleases."

In partnership with les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse