Endless flair

MONUMENTAL VANITAS, BIG PAINTINGS AND ICONIC DESIGN IN THE PORTUGUESE HOME OF PHILIPPE PASQUA.

Well-proportioned spaces, clear geometric lines and modern taste, in the home of Philippe Pasqua, the French artist who lives and works at the gates of Lisbon. An avant-garde residence whose elegance is clearly in tune with the latest architectural trends. The artist was immediately struck by the personality of the place, and three years ago he decided it was the ideal choice as a family home and studio. Surrounded by 30 hectares of vegetation, the house is joined by an atelier of 400 square meters, covered with camouflage screen to blend into the surrounding landscape. The house was in perfect condition at the time of purchase, requiring only decorating. The rooms have high ceilings and original architectural inventions that add a sculptural character. In the large spaces, works of art and design establish a perfect dialogue, while giant cacti – the only plants allowed in the house – add an exotic touch. Entirely clad in Brazilian stone, the house opens towards the garden thanks to a large glass wall. It was designed by the owner himself, with the help of a Portuguese architect for the structural parts. The house and studio are two absolutely different worlds. The first is very orderly, with a perfect balance of sculptures, paintings and furnishings, in rooms that blend different forms and colors. The studio is a place of creative disorder, where nothing can disturb this original talent who has found his own path on the art scene for the past two decades, with exhibitions all over the world in leading galleries and museums. In his atelier, Pasqua finds inspiration in the midst of chaos, and can also enjoy the distractions of television, backgammon and films, comfortably seated on his Eames Chair. He spends most of the day in this refuge, working intensely from dawn to dusk. His monumental canvases of bodies and faces are violent, powerful, striking. Pasqua also sculpts gigantic vanitas in Carrara marble, as well as skulls of mammals in bronze. For the exhibition “Borderline” at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco (until 30 September), he has created seven monumental sculptures. Pasqua’s work is also featured in a solo show at the Zemack Gallery in Tel Aviv, until the end of July, while another show is slated for May-September 2018 at Domaine de Chamarande, Île-de-France.