Combas + Kijno

The second (or first?) exhibition dedicated to Robert Combas, this Summer, in Montpellier, is the "Chemin de croix" - way of the cross. Combas is, in this exhibition, associated to the painter Ladislas Kijno, who was at the origin of the project.

Impossible to say what is the most interesting, between the personnalities and the cooperation of the artists, the concepts and the way they deal with them. Kijno was born in Warsaw in 1921 and arrived in France in 1925. He studied philosophy and theology at the catholic faculty in Lille, before becoming a painter. "I am an art monk", he said. He met the poets Louis Aragon and Francis Ponge in the occupied France of 1943, and defended the independance of Vietnam and Algeria, he's a pioneer of the use of creased paper in art, he has contributed to the decoration of the Church of Assy (as Henri Matisse, Germaine Richier, Georges Braque, Fernand Léger, Georges Rouault, Jean Bazaine)... Why isn't he a hero in the history of Arts? 

Some will have an interesting time answering these questions. They will study his work, but also the art market. Some books are certainly more passionnating to write than to read.

Kijno looked, on some photographies, like a rock'n roll artist. He looked so more than Combas, though Combas has been in a band, and sings... But he seems he has always been quite close of the ecclesiastic authorities. He had the idea, in 2003, of painting the stations of the cross as a representation of the history of the 20th C. man. He associated Combas, who admired him, to this project. Combas has grown in a communist familly and didn't seem very concerned with religion till then. He has always been interested in myths (especially modern myths), popular representations, and dealt with religion as he did with stars and popular characters. For a few years he makes crucifixes with paintbrushes and paints tormented saints. The association of both approaches of religion is interesting.

Kijno had an almost abstract, sometimes calligraphic, work. One could imagine pregnant women in some of his paintings, with organic, round forms, and radiances. Combas painted and around those shapes. I believe it required a lot of friendship and confidence from Kijno to let him do... They exposed their stations of the cross in 2008, but the first works I saw from them were buddhas heads. This christic serie might be more exciting. The conference that should be given by Michel Onfray should be exciting too. Onfray is a philosopher taking much pleasure deconstructing all myths. He wrote an ode to atheism, and a critic of Freud, amongst others...

Kijno before: