Philippe Favier (1957-2026)

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Philippe Favier.

A figure both essential and singular on the French art scene, Philippe Favier was the author of a prolific body of work, notably opening up unexpected and constantly renewed perspectives in the practice of drawing.

His universe, blending—often with humour—elements of the most trivial everyday life, described in his own words as de pacotille (“cheap” or “trifling”), with the major themes that have run throughout the history of art, conveyed a poetry unlike any other.

The Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) holds a substantial group of works by the artist in its collection, the earliest of which were acquired very early on, as early as 1982.

Furthermore, the institution had the great pleasure of supporting Philippe Favier from 1997 to 2004 on a landmark public commission: the creation of stained-glass windows produced in an unprecedented way using lithophany for the church of Église Saint-Martial de Jabreilles-les-Bordes.

There is no doubt that the title associated with certain bays of this work—Eternity—resonates powerfully today in relation to Philippe Favier’s œuvre.