Deux enfants qui s’aiment

A painter, printmaker, and sculptor of Lithuanian origin, Théo Tobiasse is one of the most distinctive figures of 20th-century narrative expressionism. Marked by a clandestine childhood in Paris during the Occupation, his work is a constant quest for identity, in which the trauma of exile is transformed into a vibrant celebration of life. His compositions juxtapose personal memories (the samovars of childhood, the trains of exile) with universal symbols drawn from the Bible, mythology, and literature (Eros, Jewish mothers, prophets). Tobiasse often incorporates fragments of text, poems, or incantations directly into the material. This calligraphy underscores the idea that the image is a narrative to be deciphered, a confidence shared with the viewer. Her technique is characterized by an incandescent palette and a richness of textures. Her deep reds and Byzantine golds are not mere chromatic choices, but vectors of spirituality and desire.