Exhibitions

From October 17 to 31, 2024, the gallery presents “Suite”, an exhibition dedicated to the latest creations by ceramicist Helle Damkjaer.

A vibrant homage to the creativity and skills of women in the field of ceramics, “Earth and Art: Women Ceramicists” is set to captivate art enthusiasts and collectors alike.
It will feature 8 women ceramicists, both established or emerging artists. The attendees will have the opportunity to engage with some of them, gaining insights into their inspiration and the stories behind their creations.

For its participation in Paris Design Week 2023, Galerie Carole Decombe is pleased to present “Untitled #1 – PDW 2023”, a group exhibition showcasing exclusive new creations by the gallery’s leading artists — mirrors by Nicolas and Sébastien Reese, sconces, lamps, and ceramic sculptures by Isabelle Sicart, Helle Damkjaer, and Patricia Roach, as well as the latest pieces by designers Emmanuel Levet Stenne and Marion Agnel-Guidoni, and works by artist Manuela Paul Cavallier.

The exhibition also marks the debut of several new talents: the duo Noue, working with brass and wood; sculptor Romain Paris Garnault; and designer Caroline Scholl.

Their pieces will be displayed alongside a curated selection of 20th-century decorative objects and furniture, creating a dialogue between genres and eras — a central curatorial focus of the gallery.

LCDQ LA LEGENDS 2023 – FASHION OF HOME

Galerie Carole Decombe is pleased to launch her new gallery boutique LOULOU created by Carole and her daughter, Lorraine Decombe.

The boutique will celebrate its opening on Saturday 18th during Frieze Los Angeles.

On view will be their selected and exclusive collection of Art, Design and Fashion.

Loulou gallery and boutique looks like a boudoir, a private room intimate and sophisticated. The boutique has chosen pieces of art among Galerie Carole Decombe’s collection. They have their own unicity thanks to their savoir-faire, the selection is also exclusive. The design brings up naturally to fashion and most of the collection are in limited edition, small production, sometimes one of a kind for sustainability is also part of their goal.

Loulou chooses to carry brands with the same values, such as Julie de Libran Paris, Manuelle Guibal, Alexandra Latour, Junichi Hakamaki, Nathalie Seiller Dejean…

The Salon Art + Design returns to New York at the Park Avenue Armory, from November 10 to 14, 2022.

Galerie Carole Decombe is delighted to be taking part in this exciting event for the first time, and will unveil a selection of exclusive new creations. The gallery will showcase works by long-time represented artists Helle Damkjaer, Isabelle Sicart, Emmanuel Levet Stenne, Nicolas Reese, and Sébastien Reese.
It will also mark the debut of Mona Oren’s unique wax sculptures, the artisanal textile creations of Stéphanie Lacoste, and ceramic works by sculptor Godeleine de Rosamel.

This year’s central theme highlights how today’s decorators and collectors incorporate high-quality art objects not only into their collections but also into their living spaces.
The Salon is renowned for its curated selection of the finest in design — vintage, modern, and contemporary — as well as exceptional historic pieces, all presented by leading art and design galleries from around the world, reflecting the latest international trends.

The exhibition UCCELLI & NUVOLE is a project initiated by ceramicist Isabelle Sicart and designer Francesco Balzano.
Brought together by a mutual appreciation of each other’s work, the two met a few years ago and soon began to envision a collaboration blending drawing and material…

To mark the launch of its e-boutique, Galerie Carole Decombe – Paris is transforming into a holiday Pop-Up store.
A festive opportunity to discover the pieces available online: lamps, sconces, sculptures, and unique art objects by resident artists, as well as works by new talents.

After exhibiting his decorative art pieces (Nicolas & Sébastien Reese), Galerie Carole Decombe is pleased to present, for the first time, the paintings and drawings of Nicholas Reese.

From Tuesday, September 6 to Friday, October 14, 2016, Galerie Carole Decombe will present Zeugma 2, the second chapter of a group exhibition bringing together the talents of four artists — Emmanuel Levet Stenne (designer), Isabelle Sicart (ceramicist), and Nicolas and Sébastien Reese (decorators) — following a first edition held in 2014.

Having greatly enjoyed working together, and enriched by that experience, the group came together once more to create new, original pieces, conceived and produced in close collaboration.
A few individual works will illuminate the joint creations, all of which are remarkable — balancing softness and precision, and combining diverse materials that merge or resist one another in a dynamic interplay of curves and counter-curves.

This year, a major theme is inspiring the gallerists and antiques dealers of the Carré Rive Gauche: “Woman/Women.”
A subject that feels like a natural fit for Galerie Carole Decombe, whose exhibition “Femmes, Femmes, Femmes” will feature the latest works by female artists the gallery has supported since its inception: Isabelle Sicart, ceramicist; Manuela Paul-Cavallier, painter and gilder; Valérie Kling and Agnès Baillon, sculptors; and photographers Diana Luiand LiliRoze.
Whether aesthetic, poetic, or political, their works reflect the spirit of their creators — inspired and immensely talented.

True to its mission of bridging 20th-century decorative arts with contemporary creation, the gallery will present these new works alongside Scandinavian furniture pieces by Nanna Ditzel, a Danish designer whose bold personality left a lasting mark on the decorative arts. A pioneering entrepreneur, her timeless and always innovative designs continue to resonate today.

From March 29 to May 3, 2016, Galerie Carole Decombe presents the exhibition “Intensité Sensible”, bringing together the work of two sculptors, Agnès Baillon and Eric de Dormael.
One works with resin and papier-mâché to create figurative pieces; the other with brass and light in abstract compositions. At first glance, their worlds may seem far apart — yet a connection emerges, a dialogue takes shape, and the magic happens.
Partners in life, and for the first time at the gallery, they present exclusive collaborative works created as a duo.

Sensual, enigmatic, divine! Femininity lies at the heart of photographer LiLiROZE’s work, and of the exclusive new series she has created especially for Galerie Carole Decombe.

LiLiROZE works with natural light and a highly personal technique that blends large-format cameras and instant film with digital processes. Far from realistic photography and bordering on painting, her images sensitively and poetically capture an impression — the memory of a sensation — creating the illusion of entering the intimate world of her subjects.

Modernist Movement and Humanist Vision in Scandinavian Design

The Modernist Movement emerged around 1925. Heirs to the Bauhaus, modernist designers placed function at the heart of their creations, with the aim of improving the daily lives of the masses. They advocated for simplified forms, the removal of ornamentation, and the preservation of the inherent qualities of natural materials. They rejected the idea that architecture should be merely an aesthetic exercise reserved for the elite.
At the same time, some designers—fascinated by the potential of the 20th century and the marvels of modern industry—believed that industrial design and machine-made products could, like traditional techniques, be a valid form of artistic expression in their own right.

The modern imperatives of functionalism and rationalism also took hold in Scandinavian countries before World War II. However, nature remained ever-present in Scandinavian design: forms were organic, and natural materials were favored. For instance, far from his contemporaries’ fascination with the machine aesthetic, and finding iron and glass too cold for furniture-making, Alvar Aalto achieved technical feats that allowed him to introduce curves into his designs. He prioritized comfort through softer, more organic forms, sometimes at odds with modernist doctrine.

“A beautiful home environment can only contribute to making people happier.”
This adage deeply influenced the Scandinavian decorative arts world.
In the early 20th century, Swedish writer Ellen Key developed a theory that some social issues could be addressed through the creation of beautiful objects. This idea spread through the Stockholm Home Exhibition of 1917, notably with the creation of the “Arbetarservisen” (Workers’ Tableware) by Wilhelm Kåge—considered the first industrially produced service to embody this Scandinavian ideology, combining functionality and aesthetics.

Since its emergence around 1920, Scandinavian design has been guided by a humanist moral ethic, in part derived from Lutheranism—the state religion in four of the Scandinavian countries—which emphasizes truth and reason, and teaches that salvation can be achieved through honest work for the benefit of others.
It is this moral belief in social responsibility that formed the philosophical foundation on which Scandinavian design has thrived.

Scandinavian designers, in their pursuit of domestic objects that were affordable, beautiful, and practical, adopted a stance that reflected a humanist interpretation of modernist principles—formal, technical, and aesthetic. For most of them, design was not simply part of everyday life, but a driver of social change.
Their primary goal was a social ideal: to improve quality of life through the use of appropriate, affordable technologies and products.

Even today, Scandinavian design remains a vital reference for contemporary production, as the values it embodies are more relevant than ever: functional, aesthetic, bold, and environmentally conscious works.

Starting January 28, 2016, with the exhibition “Humanist Modernism, Winter Exhibition,” Galerie Carole Decombe will explore how Scandinavian designers embraced a humanist vision by blending international modernist principles with regional craft traditions.
The gallery will present wooden furniture that reflects the creativity of designers who reinvented traditional pine furnishings through the creation of radically simple new forms — such as tables and chairs by Axel Einar Hjorth and David Blomberg (pictured) — as well as ceramic lamps and wall lights from the Kähler factory.

Light Sculptures – Photography – Head Ornaments

Valérie Kling – LiliRoze – Nathalie Seiller Dejean

At the origin of this three-way exhibition is Carole Decombe’s desire to showcase the work of two artists and one designer whose poetic worlds resonate with one another. All three cultivate intricate craftsmanship and embrace a creative approach rooted in imagination. While presenting their work together felt entirely natural, the Galerie sought to take it a step further—inviting them into a unique and original collaboration.

Uprooting, identity, origin, and the essence of being lie at the heart of Diana Lui’s artistic practice as a photographer, visual artist, and filmmaker. Armed with a large-format 20×25 cm view camera, she has spent over twenty years developing an ongoing project centered on what she calls her “intimate, psychological, anthropological” portraits of individuals encountered throughout her travels around the world.

Galerie Carole Decombe presents Diana Lui — Cities of the Immortals, from March 26 to May 26, 2013.

Diana Lui, a Franco-Belgian photographer of Chinese-Malaysian origin, studied in California—first at UCLA, then at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. There, she mastered all photographic techniques, while also studying drawing, painting, and printmaking.

Diana has lived in Paris for many years, and her work is exhibited around the world, in both solo and group shows. Her photographs are part of major institutional collections, including the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas, and the Guangzhou Museum of Fine Arts.

For over twenty years, Diana has pursued a photographic project that takes her across the globe with her large-format view camera (20 x 25 cm). In this exhibition, she reveals views captured in China and Russia — described as endless, mythical, improbable landscapes, yet undeniably real. In these vacant spaces, cities emerged from the night like diamonds, nestled within blue-velvet mountains; factories stretched across a snowy desert like castles from a bygone era; castles stood proud and solitary, like watchtowers.

We are delighted to have collaborated with Choï for the silver gelatin prints, and with Fanny Boucher for the photogravures.

Since 2011, the trio of artists Jennifer Midoz, Cyril Kaleka, and Malo du Bouëtiez have worked under the name Mydriaz, an alliance of talents with a name that’s no coincidence — rooted in the language of optics, it reflects their fascination with light. Mydriaz explores the possibilities of illumination, particularly as it interacts with brass, their material of choice.

From November 26, 2015 to January 6, 2016, Galerie Carole Decombe presents the exhibition Reflection, featuring the trio’s work. Whether lighting pieces or furniture, each creation is exquisitely crafted and infused with poetry.

A Scandinavian interior is a harmonious composition of distinct elements that reflect a philosophy unique to the Nordic countries — Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. The notion of home is central: it serves as a refuge from harsh climates and limited daylight. As such, it must be warm and comforting, embodying the Danish concept of hygge, which evokes a sense of tenderness and joy in well-being.

To achieve this, Scandinavians favor natural materials — wool, felt, leather — with wood playing a predominant role. Furniture is designed to be functional, with simplified, clean lines. This essentialist approach to Scandinavian design never sacrifices aesthetics; every object or piece of furniture is meant to spark emotional satisfaction.

From September 24 to November 24, 2015, Galerie Carole Decombe presents a charming Scandinavian interior, bringing together decorative arts: furniture pieces by Grete Jalk (pictured), Nanna Ditzel, Philip Arctander, and Vilhelm Lauritzen; ceramics by Gunnar Nylund and Bjorn Wiinblad; and lighting by Hans-Agne Jakobsson.

Lighting design plays a central role in Scandinavian culture. Not only does it compensate for the lack of natural light during the long winter months, but it has also fostered social connection for many years. Among the Scandinavian designers who have mastered the art of lighting, Galerie Carole Decombe has chosen to showcase the work of Hans-Agne Jakobsson (1919–2009) — a creator less known internationally than in his native Sweden, despite the quality and originality of his work.

The exhibition “Form and Light”, organized in collaboration with Patrick Anselme Kindt-Larsen, presents a unique and eclectic selection, with each piece more surprising than the last. Chandeliers, wall sconces, floor lamps, and table lamps all reflect the designer’s inventiveness and highly personal stylistic language.

On the occasion of the Month of Photography, Galerie Carole Decombe highlights a selection of works by Diana Lui and LiliROZE — two women photographers with distinct artistic approaches, yet a shared desire to explore the heart of intimacy, an intimacy often rooted in the feminine.

March 12 – April 18, 2015

In 1956, at a time when Scandinavian design trends favored clean lines and sharp angles, Swedish designer Kerstin Hörlin Holmquist created the Paradis collection — a series of furniture pieces with free-flowing forms, sensual curves, and a playful femininity.
From March 12 to April 18, 2015, Galerie Carole Decombe ascends to Holmquist’s own Paradis, presenting her divine creations: the Eve and Adam armchairs, the Paradis sofa, and the Garden of Delights chaise longue.

As winter approaches, Galerie Carole Decombe is immersed in a “white mood” — one that reflects the new creations made especially for the gallery, alongside previously unseen works by five artists who are regularly exhibited within its walls.

Emmanuel Levet Stenne – sculpture and design
Diana Lui – photography
Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert – blown glass
Mauro Mori – sculpture and design
Isabelle Sicart – ceramics
Scandinavian furniture

En Filigrane
As part of the Carré Rive Gauche Association’s event “Metamorphoses”, Galerie Carole Decombe will present its own metamorphosis, En Filigrane, from June 3 to July 14, 2015, highlighting the ancient technique of filigree glass. The gallery has chosen to showcase the work of glassblower Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert. His filigree pieces will be exhibited alongside a 16th-century object, illustrating how an age-old technique can be reinvented and continue to inspire today’s most talented creators.

Four artists are joining forces to showcase their work as part of the Carré Rive Gauche event: “An Object, A Story.”