| Agathe Bouton
Agathe Bouton, (b.Paris, France; lives Wynnewood, PA, USA) is a French printmaker and multimedia artist known for her contemporary approach to printmaking. She earned her BFA and MFA from ESSAA Duperré in Paris. Over the past 20 years, Bouton has lived and exhibited in cities like Paris, London, Philadelphia, New York, Rangoon, Dakar, and Istanbul. Her solo exhibitions include venues such as the Biennale de l’Art Africain Contemporain in Dakar, Galerie Martine Namy-Caulier in Paris, Stanek Gallery in Philadelphia and Zürcher Gallery in New York. Bouton has received numerous awards, in 2022 she received the Meyer Family Award for Contemporary Art and being a finalist in the 98th Annual International Competitions of The Print Center in Philadelphia in 2023. Recently she won the Louise K.Binswangr Prize for best Artist. Her work is part of collections in prestigious French institutions like the Bibliothèque Nationale and American collections such as the Free Library of Philadelphia and Swarthmore College Library.
About the Seconde Peau Series
“Seconde Peau” (Second Skin) is an intimate series of small woven pieces created from my original prints, incorporating fibers and delicate touches of gold leaf.
With this series, I wanted to return to my deep appreciation for craft, handmade work, and textiles.
I began by slicing pieces of my prints into fine strips, weaving them together, and layering in fragments of fabric, threads, and gold leaf. The result is a work that evokes the human skin, yet can also be interpreted as fabric or cloth. It’s inspired by the way our skin constantly renews and heals itself.
The prints and papers I use are delicate and fragile, offering a soft yet vulnerable representation of skin. The addition of gold leaf and metallic threads emphasizes the preciousness of our skin, suggesting the need for protection. These elements also symbolize seams and repairs, referencing the act of mending.
Some pieces in the series reflect the wounds our skin bears from the daily demands of work and life. We cut, burn, bruise—and these marks leave lasting traces, some more visible than others. Through color and stitching, I reinterpret these small wounds, reimagining them as traces of resilience and healing.
Agathe will be part of an upcoming 3 person exhibition — May 22nd – July 10th |
