Pierre Yovanovitch's favorites

Pierre and the line!

Drawing, often perceived as a fundamental and original practice of art, crosses the ages and is constantly reinventing itself. Sometimes a preparation tool, sometimes an autonomous work, it has always occupied a central place in the work of artists, whether classical or contemporary. The relationship to drawing and line echoes the stylistic evolutions, technical revolutions and philosophical questions of each era. Masters such as Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo elevated it to an unparalleled level of technical sophistication. Later, in the 19th century, artists such as Delacroix, then Cézanne, disrupted the hierarchy of artistic genres and freed drawing from its preparatory function to give it an unprecedented autonomy. The line becomes a signature, a mark of the artist's individuality. Later still, the aerial sketchbooks of Antony Gormley, Pablo Picasso and Basquiat and Warhol demonstrate this perfectly. Contemporary drawing transcends the limits of the blank sheet of paper. It becomes a dynamic canvas where ideas, shapes and emotions intertwine. For 18 years, Drawing Now Paris has been highlighting this creative energy in all universes and fields. In 2024, the show launched the first edition of the "Coups de coeur" of architects and designers with Aline Asmar d'Aman, Noé Duchaufour Lawrance, Constance Guisset and Mathieu Lehanneur highlighting their subjective and instinctive choices. This year for its 18th  edition, Drawing Now Paris and your devoted have innovated again by asking a single architect for his favorites. Pierre Yovanovitch himself passionate about drawing, line... using it incessantly in his creative process immediately responded. A long and fascinating work session nourished by questions and research on each of the artists allowed the architect to extract his favorites. They reflect his spontaneity and visionary love of the artist in the making. Discovery trail...

Yves Mirande
Founder The Seeds Company

Pierre Yovanovitch

Architect

In 2001, Pierre Yovanovitch founded his interior design and decoration agency, marked by a haute couture aesthetic and very attached to craftsmanship and excellence, exceptional know-how and "made-in-France". He leads a team of more than 120 employees in Paris and New York and works on international projects: private residences, hotels and restaurants, scenography of artistic projects for cultural institutions. In 2019, he published his first monograph with Rizzoli and is on the lists of the prestigious American magazines Architectural Digest and Elle Decor every year.

After 20 years of creating custom furniture for the interiors he designs, Pierre Yovanovitch launched his furniture brand in 2021, Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier (PYMO). Characterized by exceptional craftsmanship and attention to the materials used in its creations, PYMO works with an ecosystem of craftsmen, manufacturers and suppliers to offer high-quality furniture and lighting to its collectors. Pierre Yovanovitch is opening his first two galleries, one in Paris and the other in New York, in the fall of 2023. In 2024, the Pierre Yovanovitch Group acquired the French manufacturer D'Argentat, which specialises in the manufacture of high-end furniture, as well as the Eécart International brand, founded by Andrée Putman.

© Alessio Boni - Pierre Yovanovitch

© Alessio Boni

The routes of the 17th edition

What a stroke of the pen!

The few words of this phrase express the essence of the drawing. A drawing that in our spontaneous imagination is classical. But drawing is also a beginning for contemporary artists. The aerial sketchbooks of Antony Gormley, Pablo Picasso, Basquiat and Warhol demonstrate this perfectly.

Contemporary drawing transcends the limits of the blank sheet of paper. It becomes a dynamic canvas where ideas, forms and emotions intertwine. Through it, artists explore new frontiers, defying conventions to create captivating, emotional works. And this, in a very spontaneous and instinctive way, sometimes on a corner of a paper tablecloth in a café or in a sketchbook. Between abstraction and storytelling, contemporary drawing reveals an astonishing versatility, ranging from simple strokes to complex works to the bold use of color. In addition to artists, designers, architects, interior designers, decorators also have their own personal pencil strokes. Often preserved as inspired sketches, they are nevertheless works in themselves that bear witness to the genesis and effervescence of a project.

This year, Drawing Now Paris is innovating again. The show asked me to help them choose three designers and an architect to make their "Coup de coeur" selection among the works presented at the show. Aline Asmar d'Amman, Noé Duchaufour Lawrance, Constance Guisset and Mathieu Lehanneur, all in love with the line, all using it instinctively, took part in the game.

Yves Mirande
Founder The Seeds Company

Aline Asmar from Amman

Architect & Founder
by Culture in Architecture

Capture d’écran 2024-03-12 à 15.58.46

© Pascal Dangin

Constance Guisset

Founder of Constance Guisset Studio

Capture d’écran 2024-03-12 à 14.19.50

© Charlotte Robin

Mathieu Lehanneur

Designer and teacher at ENSCI

Capture d’écran 2024-03-12 à 14.21.31

© Rudy Waks

Noé Duchaufour Lawrance

Interior Designer & Architect

Capture d’écran 2024-03-12 à 14.19.23

© Sanda Vuckovic