Simon Hantaï: unfolding color

Hungarian painter Simon Hantaï (1922–2008) created a body of work that resembles a fireworks display of colours and shapes. Based in Paris, he was influenced by Art Informel and the work of Jackson Pollock in the 1950s. A radically experimental search for new modes of expression lay at the heart of his work, and from 1960 onwards, he developed the technique of folding, with intensely coloured patterns generated by the randomness of the folds. This technique defined his work and continues to captivate an international audience to this day.

Featuring numerous works spanning four decades, this book pays tribute to a fascinating figure of the Parisian avant-garde and analyses his pivotal role within post-war international abstraction, linked to his innovative technique of working on pleated canvases with luminous colours.