The Lorenzi Gallery in Bastia is paying tribute to its founder, José Lorenzi, through a comprehensive exhibition that blends both vintage and recent works, some of which have never been displayed to the public before. The exhibition runs through September 30 and offers visitors a unique glimpse into the artist's extraordinary journey through decades of creative evolution.
Located at 31 Boulevard Paoli, the gallery walls now serve as a canvas for Lorenzi's artistic dialogue that spans generations. Upon entering, visitors are immediately drawn to a vibrant port scene splashed with bright blues and reds that evoke his native city of Bastia. Further along, a large urban composition featuring ochre and green flat colors recalls the Parisian streets where, as a young man, he first discovered Van Gogh's revolutionary work.
Another section of the gallery showcases the pop art repetition of geometric forms that echo his transformative stay in New York, where he encountered the groundbreaking works of Andy Warhol. The exhibition represents a lifetime dedicated to painting, bringing together works from all periods of his career, including pieces that Lorenzi had long kept private, refusing to sell them throughout his lifetime.
"We want to give this place a dynamic energy so that his work endures," explains Joséphine, his daughter who now manages the gallery. Born in 1929 in Bastia, José Lorenzi embodied Corsican contemporary art for more than 80 years. As an avant-garde artist who finished first in his teaching certification, he created France's first plastic arts center in Bastia and established the arts option for the baccalaureate examination there.
Two major life challenges fundamentally transformed his artistic palette and approach. A battle with lymphatic cancer pushed him toward brighter, more luminous tones, while an accident to his right index finger forced him to adapt his technique and begin painting with a palette knife instead of traditional brushes. These pivotal episodes in his life can be read with striking simplicity across the gallery walls through the evolution of colors, the texture of materials, and the light that gradually invaded his landscapes.
The exhibition unfolds the threads of a life dedicated to both artistic creation and cultural engagement, offering curious visitors insight into a man who, until the very end, refused to make any compromises regarding his freedom to paint. The comprehensive display demonstrates how personal struggles and artistic discoveries shaped not only his individual work but also contributed to the broader cultural landscape of contemporary Corsican art.
Visitors can experience this remarkable artistic journey at the Lorenzi Gallery, where the space that José Lorenzi himself shaped now serves as a fitting monument to his enduring legacy and unwavering commitment to artistic expression.
