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Eugene-Nestor de KermadecFrench artist and graphic artist
Date of Birth: 21.05.1899
Country:  France |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Cubism and Early Influences
- Salon Exhibitions and First Solo Show
- Abstract Female Nudes
- International Exhibitions and Galerie Leiris
- Book Illustrator
- Death and Legacy
Early Life and Education
Émile de Kermadec was born in 1895 on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. His father was a schoolteacher. Kermadec studied sculpture at the École des Arts Decoratifs from 1915 to 1917 and later drawing at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Cubism and Early Influences
In the 1910s and 1920s, Kermadec was an active participant in the avant-garde movement. He initially painted in the Cubist style. In 1919, he met and became friends with Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, and Robert Desnos.
Salon Exhibitions and First Solo Show
Kermadec began exhibiting his paintings at the Salon des Indépendants and other group exhibitions from this time onward. His first solo show was held in 1929 at the Galerie Simone in Paris.
Abstract Female Nudes
In his later period, Kermadec's painting almost exclusively featured female nudes. He depicted their voluptuous forms using bright colors, abstract planes, and precise lines.
International Exhibitions and Galerie Leiris
Kermadec had solo exhibitions at the Galerie Leiris in Paris in 1946, 1957, 1973, and 1977. He also participated in numerous international exhibitions in Berlin (1929), Tokyo (1933), Toronto (1949), Stuttgart (1960), and elsewhere. His works were featured in the documenta II exhibition in Kassel in 1959.
Book Illustrator
In addition to his painting, Kermadec was also known as a book illustrator. He illustrated works by his friend, the poet Francis Ponge.
Death and Legacy
Émile de Kermadec died in Paris in 1976. He is remembered as one of the prominent abstract and Cubist painters in French art of the 20th century.
