Elene Usdin - Contrast

About

Philippe Labaune Gallery is pleased to present Contrast, French artist Elene Usdin’s inaugural exhibition with the gallery and her debut showcase in the United States opening Thursday, June 1, 2023. On view is a selection of new and recent works created by the artist between 2017 and 2023, including the original comic strips illustrated for her graphic novel debut René·e aux bois dormants. Also presented are a series of illustrations from the artist commissioned for the 2023-2024 season by the Théâtre des Célestins in Lyon, the second oldest theater house in France. Drawing inspiration from the fantastical, surreal tales of her upbringing, Usdin's stories of metamorphosis and self-exploration balance juxtaposing elements of light and dark composition to create a pensive, lurid environment to reflect upon her convictions. 

Usdin's mother's surreal phobias of vampires, prowlers, and other magical creatures considerably impacted her daughter's early stories. The mother-daughter relationship was the foundation from which she manifested and projected those anxieties through nightmares of her childhood toys. In time, her visions evolved into a means to convey feelings difficult for her to articulate with words alone. The Diplopia series plays with the concept of “doubles” through mystifying interpretations of her dreams. Twins and Dream Room, whilst appearing to share no relation, are bound together by the bizarre, unearthly depictions of twin sisters and a twin bed. Le Chien Doré, a ghastly standalone piece, was inspired by a dream in which Usdin saw her sister in a barren forest amid a grisly scene. Despite the macabre atmosphere, her sister was anchored by the brilliance of the golden plush held firmly in her grasp.  

Usdin’s graphic novel René·e aux bois dormants immerses her youthful, magnetic characters in the vivid and abundant depths of nature and history for a phantasmagorical adventure exploring the nuances of identity. René, a child prone to fainting spells during which he travels to worlds populated by witches, ogres, and other creatures that exist beyond the comprehension of reality, struggles with maintaining a sense of belonging in both his familial and academic lives. His journey sees him revisit the myths of Canada's indigenous peoples and their history as perceived through the unbiased lens of a child searching for meaning. These themes of freedom and self-discovery are expanded on in Usdin's series The Inhabitants, a collection of works showcasing the results of a marriage between her passions for painting, photography, and narrative storytelling. The artist’s photographed models, adolescent girls and boys, are adorned with extravagant costumes painted onto each individual portrait to create a unique work. Honoring the legacy and influence of Old Masters including Pablo Picasso, Paolo Uccello, Ángel Zárraga, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Usdin sought to echo and externalize the angst and interior chaos of the youth, hidden behind their enigmatic gaze. 

Elene Usdin was born in 1971 in Paris, France. She graduated in 1996 from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris, in graphic design and animated images. She started as a painter for the cinema on Léos Carax’s film Pola X. In 2021, Éditions Sarbacane published her first graphic novel, René·e aux bois dormants, which won the ACBD Grand Prix de la Critique, the Prix des Libraires du Québec, and the Prix Artémisia. In 2022, her work was exhibited at the Galerie Barbier in Paris, at the Festival BD in Bastia, at the Festival Étonnants Voyageurs in Saint-