Born in 1957 in Bordeaux, Nathalie Du Pasquier is a French artist and designer (Memphis Milano, n.d.). Bordeaux, being a port city, exposed the artist to global trade and cultures (du Pasquier, 2015). At the age of 18, she relocated to Gabon in Africa to stay with her relative, where she learned that taste is relative and realised that her previous thoughts about Africa were incomplete (du Pasquier, 2015). Self-taught in design, Nathalie lived and worked in Milan since 1979 (Memphis Milano, n.d.). Her recent works focused on seeing how seemingly random objects can coexist in unexpected ways (Pace Gallery, 2019). Her vision extended beyond the obvious; she transformed her observations into artistic expressions.
Beginning of the Journey
Initially, Nathalie created textile patterns for Italian fashion brands like Fiorucci and Naj Oleari (du Pasquier, 2015). Being an art historian, her mother shaped her classical view of art, whereas her father’s profession as a virologist encouraged her to see the world naturally and scientifically (du Pasquier, 2015). When she was in Gabon, her inspiration was local signs, painters, bold colours, letters, and adapted logos (du Pasquier, 2015). Influenced by her surroundings, Nathalie began drawing and absorbing patterns, music, and everyday visual cultures without consciously analysing them (du Pasquier, 2015).
A childhood visit to Italy, especially Ravenna’s Byzantine mosaics, shaped her understanding of how art and architecture can merge seamlessly (du Pasquier, 2015). Milan helped her understand 20th-century design and architecture, especially modern and postwar buildings (du Pasquier, 2015). She was fascinated by architecture, and the idea of modernity was shaped by industry and new modes of production (du Pasquier, 2015). Her experiences shaped her architectural sensibility by linking art and modern design into an understanding of modernity.
Memphis
As one of the protagonists of Memphis, her designs for decorative surfaces have played a pivotal role in creating a distinctive style (Memphis Milano, n.d.). In the early 1980s, she became a part of the Memphis design collection (du Pasquier, 2015). Memphis, founded by Ettore Sottsass, was known for its bold postmodern style with bright colours, strong patterns, and unusual forms (du Pasquier, 2015). Graphic patterns were widely used in Memphis designs until 1987 (du Pasquier, 2015). Emerald is a play of everyday surrealism, featuring the juxtaposition of natural materials and geometric patterns (Memphis Milano, n.d.). Her early influences informed her bold designs, which created a visually strong and distinct object.
Paintings and Other Works
After the fall of Memphis, she picked up painting in 1987 (Memphis Milano, n.d.). Her first major solo exhibition was in an Italian institution entitled Campodi Marte, 2022, at Museo di Arte Contemporanea in Rome (Memphis Milano, n.d.). From 1987 onwards, her focus shifted to paintings, with her early paintings focusing on still life and surreal landscapes, which later evolved to more abstract works (du Pasquier, 2015). Her later works included abstract paintings, drawings, and constructions that explore colour, light, and perception (Du Pasquier, 2020).
In her exhibition at Pace Gallery, she carefully arranges paintings with ceramic, wooden objects, and works on paper (Pace Gallery, 2019). She combines artworks from different periods of the last 20 years in one display (Pace Gallery, 2019). The goal is to see how artworks change meaning when placed together (Pace Gallery, 2019). Her exhibitions turn the gallery into an abstract, immersive environment (Pace Gallery, 2019). Colour, form, and space are distributed to create visual connections between works (Pace Gallery, 2019). All elements are linked by a single aesthetics and a distinctive visual language (Pace Gallery, 2019). The clean lines, bold colours, and deliberate juxtaposition of objects defined her artistic style.
Ideology
Through her research, Nathalie explores the boundary between tangible and intangible, reality and imagination, representative and non-representative works across paintings, drawings, models, and construction (Memphis Milano, n.d.). Many of her paintings are based on physical models she builds herself (du Pasquier, 2015). Based on her experience and observations, she realised that a lot of traditional textile motifs already existed, and innovation came through changes in colours and scale (du Pasquier, 2015). Du Pasquier trusts instincts over formal design training (Du Pasquier, 2020). Nathalie believed decoration should be central to design, not an added layer (Du Pasquier, 2020). She described her patterns as a way to express memories, emotions, and states of mind without overthinking (Du Pasquier, 2020). Without formal training in design or art, her creative foundation emerged from observation and experience. She is a gifted artist who is aware of her surroundings and transforms her imagination into artwork. Her solo exhibitions have gained attention as immersive environments. Her style is distinctive, setting her work apart through visual identity.
References:
- du Pasquier, N. (2015) Nathalie du Pasquier: My Influences. Frieze, 25 September. Available at: https://www.frieze.com/article/nathalie-du-pasquier-my-influences
- Du Pasquier, N. (2020) Dons of Design: Nathalie Du Pasquier. SCP Journal, 29 January. Available at: https://news.scp.co.uk/2020/01/dons-of-design-nathalie-du-pasquier/
- Memphis Milano (no date) Nathalie Du Pasquier. Available at: https://memphis.it/en/authors/nathalie-du-pasquier/
- Pace Gallery (2019) Nathalie Du Pasquier: The strange order of things. Pace Gallery. Available at: https://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/nathalie-du-pasquier/
Image References:
- Glaviano, A. (2016) Portrait of Nathalie Du Pasquier. Photograph for Kunsthalle Wien, Austria. Available at: https://news.scp.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Portrait_Nathalie-Du-Pasquier_Foto-adriana-_glaviano_V2.jpg
- Memphis Milano, 2023. Emerald [image online]. Available at: https://memphis.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EMERALD_07A8715-copia.jpg
- Du Pasquier, N. (2019) Installation view: Nathalie Du Pasquier, the strange order of things, Pace Gallery, Seoul [photograph] Available at: https://www.pacegallery.com/media/images/DU_PASQUIER_INST_SEOUL_2019_v05-HighResolutio.width-2000.jpg
