Galerie Kriegel, Paris 1973 by André Cottavoz

André Cottavoz

The French painter, engraver and ceramicist André Cottavoz (1922-2012) trained at the Lyon Fine Arts School in 1939 and exhibited in many group international exhibitions after the Second World War. He was a maverick and founder member of a group of artist from his alma mater who painted without ‘isms’ – free from Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism etc., choosing to paint ‘in the light’ and without any recognisable technique. Cottavoz moved to the French Riviera and met Picasso, Chagall and Pignon. Picasso said of Cottavoz’ work: “I don’t know if it is good or bad but that interests me!” Cottavoz went on to win the prestigious Fénéon Prize in 1953 and exhibited at the Prix National de Peinture and Biennale de Menton. The Japanese art dealer Kiyoshi Tamenaga exhibited many of his works at his gallery in Tokyo. By the early Sixties, Cottavoz was working in the Mourlot Studios in Paris to create many black and white, and coloured, lithographs. He signed an exclusive contract with the Galerie Kriegel, Paris in 1964 which hosted exhibitions until 1979.

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