François BOUCHEIX "Au café de Flore". Aquarelle signée

François Boucheix : French surrealist painter, sculptor and printmaker, Francois Boucheix was born in the small mountain village of Monts d’Auvergne in 1940. At age 15, following the death of his father, Boucheix headed to Paris to find work in the hotel business, although he never abandoned his passion for art and often painted late into the night after a full day’s work. By age 17, Boucheix was studying with Jean de Rocca Serra. In 1960, he earned his first exhibition in Tunisia and shortly thereafter began to show in the south of France. His first important exhibition was in 1964, at the Sevres Gallery in Paris, where he went on to exhibit for several years alongside such internationally renowned artists as, Lebasque, Freiz and Marie Laurencin. During this time he met the Japanese-French master Foujita, who further encouraged him, and the two artists traded paintings with each other. He also met Salvador Dali, who praised his work, and both artists exhibited together in the show, “Dali to Boucheix,” which included works by the master historical painter, Meisonnier. This experienced convinced Boucheix to pursue a surrealist path in his imagery and also determined his choice to paint positive surrealistic imagery, as opposed to the more typically disturbing subjects often found in surrealist painting. He went on to gain critical acceptance, with one prominent art writer from the newspaper, “l’Aurore,” claiming that with Boucheix, “…Dali and Chagall’s successor had been found.” In 2002, Boucheix celebrated his 42nd anniversary as an artist by introducing sculpture, which has since become an important part of his work.