Exposition "Art Brut - Folk Art"

The Friends of Saint-Céneri are unveiling an exceptional exhibition of mainly French Art Brut and American Folk Art, bringing together a rare selection of some thirty works on loan from a private collector. Popularised in the 1940s by Jean Dubuffet, the concept of Art Brut (Outsider Art) honours creations made without any academic training, by self-taught artists, marginalised people, prisoners or internees. Far removed from convention, this secretive and intensely personal art is characterised by an instinctive approach, raw expressiveness and the use of unconventional materials - found objects, scraps, recycled materials. It reveals intimate visions, inner experiences and deep emotions, often charged with symbolism and disturbing inventiveness, the opposite of naive art. In the United States, the "Art brut" category does not exist as such: it merges into the vast field of Folk Art, which groups together self-taught productions - naïve, singular, popular. The exhibition highlights several major figures in this movement, with a particular focus on Black Folk Art from the Deep South. Their trajectories, marked by shared social and historical contexts, resonate with singular force. Long scorned by the art market, these works have, over the last few decades, earned their place in museums and major collections. Here, they are presented in all their sensitive power and formal freedom. Open in June from Friday to Sunday, 2pm to 6pm, and in July from Thursday to Sunday, 2pm to 6pm. Free admission.