Richard Texier was born in Niort in 1955. In 1973, he moved to Paris to study at l’École spéciale d’Architecture before receiving a doctorate in applied fine arts from l’Université Panthéon – Sorbonne. He later relocated to New York in 1979, where he established a nomadic creative procedure he called ‘Ateliers Nomades’, which he replicated across the world over the course of his travels: Pavilion of Culture in Moscow (1992); Carnation factory, Ivry-sur-Seine (1993); Villa Noailles de Hyères (1998); Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea, New York; (2002); Cordouan lighthouse (2003); Liu ancestral foundry in Shanghai (2004); Yangon in Burma (2012).
Artistically, Texier’s unique corpus is inspired by astronomy, specifically the spellbooks of the first astronomers, and by the magic of the coastline. Telluris Theoria Sacra, a text on geological processes and the origin of the universe, written by Thomas Burnet in the 17th century, is a great example of this influence. Texier’s works on paper are conceived as ‘territories’ that he explores, fragments of the universe he shares with the viewer. In the labyrinth of his mental tracks, he invites us along the path that reveals meaning.
He exhibited for the first time in 1982 at the International Contemporary Art Fair, with the Claudine Bréguet gallery. In 1989, the French State commissioned a series of tapestries on the theme of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789, as part of the bicentenary of the French Revolution. The works toured the Opéra Bastille, the Arche de la Défense, the Assemblée Nationale , the Musée départemental de la tapisserie d’Aubusson’ , the European Parliament and the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris.
Since 1992, he has created a number of works of sculpture, most notably his bronze mythological animals, which form his interpretation of the concept of hybridisation. Texier’s current work continues to draw from his creative strategy known as the ‘Pantheo Vortex’, which is an artistic exploration of the mystery and beauty of the world.
Texier has received a number of awards, most notably: Officer of the National Order of Merit Officer of the National Order of Merit, awarded in May 2016; Official painter of the Navy, awarded in 2015 and Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, awarded in July 2014.
His solo exhibitions in the 21st century consist of: Sculptures, Galerie Artcurial, Paris, France (2000); Galerie J. Bastien Art, Brussels, Belgium (2001); Suite des droits de l’homme, 7 tapisseries d’Aubusson, Musée du Président-Jacques-Chirac, France (2002); Nomadic Atelier, Galerie Atelier 14, New York, USA (2002); Les îles de la destinée, Galerie Tessa Herold, ARCO, Madrid, Spain (2004); Réalisation de 8 vitraux, Abbaye d’art de Trizay, Trizay, France (2004); Musée des beaux-arts de Shanghai (Shanghai Meishu Guan) in Shanghai, China (2005); Cinq grandes sculptures en bronze, Grand Palais, Paris, France (2006); Opere recenti, Galleria San Carlo, Milan, Italy (2007); Paintings on Chinese Nautical Charts – New York by Richard Texier, Alice King Gallery, Hong Kong (2007); Créatures mythiques, M Art Center de Shanghai, China (2008); Theoria Sacra, Galerie Pierre Levy, Paris, France (2011); Governor’s Residence, Rangoun, Burma (2012); ‘11 sculptures monumentales sur Orchard Road à Singapour (2013); Pantheo-Vortex, Galerie Guy Pieters, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France (2014); Lumière, Galerie Downtown, Paris, France (2019).
Texier lives and works in Paris.
