Henri Samouilov

Henri Samouilov is an artist born in Paris in 1930. He lived most of his life in Yerres in a house and studio that he designed himself, dividing his work between drawing, painting and sculpture. He first trained in illustration and advertising drawing and then took evening classes at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse.

His artistic production does not fit into a particular movement or current. Far from conventions, commercial demands or fashions of the time, Henri Samouilov's work is endowed with an uncommon intensity. Full of humanity and altruism, his work is not light and carefree but melancholic, mysterious and sometimes even anxious.

"We could attribute talent to him, but he deserves better than this banality. An uncommon force, a humanity that touches us in each of his works allow us to affirm that Henri Samouilov is a painter worthy of the name, a visionary, a seer in the sense that Arthur Rimbaud understood it."

Philippe Soupault – Co-founder of Surrealism (1963)

His imagination is nourished by the landscapes that are part of his daily life and by a very rich inner world. Thus, through his gaze, the most banal urban scenes gain in poetry and mystery, we also find the imprint of surrealism. As for rural landscapes, they border on the boundaries of reality. Henri Samouilov thus delivers labyrinthine and sinuous compositions that are the fruit of his most secret inner journeys.

Being very reserved by nature, communication and promotion around his work were not his priority. He did not like being the center of attention and preferred the shadows to the light.

Henri Samouilov remained outside the official paths all his life. Protected from the demands of the market and fashion, his work remained deeply personal. Without seeking to please or sell, in a total and honest truth, he left behind him an immensely touching, inventive and profound artistic production.