Solar Mansion

Ben Arpéa Victor de Rossi Charlotte Esquerré

Over The Influence Paris is delighted to present, for the very first time, three French artists in Solar Mansion.

Solar Mansion evokes a bright family home where we gather every summer, an ode to joy and laughter that immerse us in nostalgia as the summer season comes to a close. During this exhibition, this imaginary house comes to life thanks to three French artists with complementary talents. In a truly innovative way, the OTI gallery transforms into a living space.

The walls of the OTI gallery open up to timeless landscapes with surreal accents, created by the young artist Charlotte Esquerré. They converse with the joyful and sunlit still lifes that have made Ben Arpéa famous. The entire space is adorned with unique furniture designed by the designer and artisan Victor de Rossi.

One easily plunges back into childhood at the sight of Ben Arpéa's artworks. His still lifes, reduced to essential forms, like a simple corolla for flowers or a diamond for leaves, evoke the aesthetics of Matisse and bring us back to the very essence of color. However, behind the apparent simplicity of his compositions, Ben Arpéa conceals meticulous texture work. Approaching his paint surfaces, one discovers an entire world of miniature reliefs. Since 2020, the year of his artistic maturity, this artist born in 1989 has been captivating continents, from Mexico to Japan, from the United States to Switzerland, with his joyful and childlike aesthetic. Ben Arpéa's promise is simple and universal: a return to innocence through the vibrancy of color and the sensuality of material, a harmonious synthesis between abstraction, pop art, and surrealism.

The viewer is overwhelmed with dizziness when exploring the skillfully arranged symphonies of objects by Charlotte Esquerré. This young artist immerses us in a hybrid series where landscapes and objects merge into surreal assemblages, escaping any obvious meaning. The sometimes bewildering architectures and perspectives completely disconnect us from space and time, leaving us to daydream as if by the side of a pool on a hot summer day, reminiscent of David Hockney. However, in a notable difference, Charlotte Esquerré's canvases remain devoid of any human presence, plunging us into a realm of pure illusion, perhaps even into a dream. Since her studies at the Atelier de Sèvres and then at Penninghen, Charlotte Esquerré has been forging her path as an artist and graphic designer, drawing inspiration from illustrious figures such as René Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico, and renowned architects like Le Corbusier.

Inspired by a sun-drenched abode, Victor de Rossi has envisioned and crafted a collection of furniture with a distinctly coastal charm. This furniture proves to be a true celebration of stripes, reminiscent of those found on sun umbrellas and beach loungers. A coffee table and a totem, in the manner of Brâncuși, have been meticulously designed to bring to life, in three dimensions, the work of Ben Arpéa. To complete this collection, a console with impeccable proportions finds its place: with its generous chest and long striped legs, it instantly transports us to the enchanting atmosphere of the French Riviera.