Elga Heinzen
Presentation
Born in Geneva in 1933, Elga Heinzen lives and works in Garches (France). Her work was first exhibited in France in 1973 by John Craven, then noticed by Iris Clert, who included it in its historic group show Grandes femmes. Petits formats and in the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC). In 1977, Elga Heinzen presented her first solo show at Iris Clert Gallery and participated in several group shows, as at the Georges Pompidou Center and UNESCO. That same year, the French Ministry of Culture acquired two of her paintings. She also participated in the Salon de Montrouge in 1984. Since then, her work has been exhibited in international institutions and galleries (England, United States, Italy, Japan, and France).
Elga Heinzen explores movement, particularly folds, through different mediums: painting, drawing, and sculpture. Her work offers a glimpse into her private life and obsessions, which she expresses through her representations of organic and sensual forms as well as everyday objects such as fabrics, beds, ropes, nuts, and flags. Her works establish a dialogue between colors and shapes, creating a corpus of her fascinations and memories.
Cv
Solo shows (selection)
2024
Ailleurs est ici, Françoise Livinec Gallery, Paris, France
2023
Réminiscences, Françoise Livinec Gallery, Paris, France
2016
Le Langage Des Plis, 24b Gallery, Paris, France
2011
Permanence Du Pli, La Réserve - AREA Gallery, Paris, France
2007
Agnes Dutko Gallery, Paris, France
2002
Galleria Peccolo, Livornio, Italy
1998
Lipworth-Hartman Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Claude Lemand Gallery, Paris, France
1996
Espace du Bateau Lavoir, Paris, France
1991
Wildenstein & Co, London, UK
1990
Gallery Henoch, New York, USA
1987
Blondel Gallery, Paris, France
1985
Blondel Gallery, Paris, France
1984
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
The Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, USA
1983
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
Galerie Calart, Geneva, Switzerland
1980
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
1979
Negru Gallery, Paris, France
1978
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
1977
Iris Clert Gallery, Paris, France
1975
Iris Clert Gallery, Paris, France
1973
John Craven Gallery, Paris, France
1970
Galeria Gavina, Turino, Italy
Group shows (selection)
2026
ARCO Madrid, duo with Laura Garcia Karras, Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Madrid, Spain
Drawing Now, Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Paris, France
2018
Croiser TEXTILE/ART, Abbaye of Trizay, Vendée, France
2016
MUES, 24b Gallery, Paris France
2007
Museum of modern and contemporary art, Mantova, Italy
2006
40 Years: A dealer's collection, Gallery Henoch, New-York, USA
2004
MiDA Museum, Scontrone, Italy
1999
Érotisme Sans Frontières, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
1997
Erotic Museum, Paris, France
1996
Astres, Naïa De Monbrison Gallery, Paris, France
1995
Eventails d'artistes, La Pochade Gallery, Paris, France
Livres d'artistes, Toner Gallery, Paris, France
1994
Photocollages, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
Érotisme, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
Le Dernier Souper, Market Hall art space, Sens, France
1993
La Disparition De L'alphabet,Toner Gallery, Paris, France
Elga, Wimmer Gallery, New York, Etats-Unis
Le Dernier Souper, Toner Gallery, Paris, France
Souvenir De L'avenir, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
Grands Meubles, Toner Gallery, Paris, France
1989
L'art au plus que parfait, Abbaye Saint André, Meymac, France
1988
Fabric, Gallery Henoch, New-York, USA
Masques d'artistes, Saint André Collegiate Church, Chartres, France
Hommage à Iris Clert, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Les pouvoirs Du réel, Luneville castle's museum, Luneville, France
L'art au plus que parfait, Avranches contemporary art center, France
1986
Hommage à Iris Clert, Acropolis, Nice, France
Autour De Chayssac, Eymoutiers cultural center, Eymoutier, France
1985
Pour Les Droits De L'homme, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, France
1984
92 du 92, Boulogne cultural center, Paris, France
Salon De Montrouge, Montrouge cultural center, Paris, France
1983
Realism Now, Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Japan
Nœuds Et Ligatures, National center for visual arts, Paris, France
Salon De Montrouge, Montrouge cultural center, Paris, France
1977
Dialogue, UNESCO, Paris, France
Choisir, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, France
1976
Dialogue, UNESCO, Paris, France
1975
Grands Et Jeunes D'aujourd'hui, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Salon De Mai, Modern Art Museum, Paris, France
1974
Grandes Femmes Petits Formats, Iris Clert Gallery, Paris, France
Grands Et Jeunes D'aujourd'hui, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Salon De Mai, Modern Art Museum, Paris, France
1973
Grands Et Jeunes D'aujourd'hui, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Salon De Mai, Modern Art Museum, Paris, France
Publications and texts (selection)
Pascal Bonafoux, Drapeaux
Pascal Bonafoux, Présences
Pascal Bonafoux, Ouverture, 2025
Marie-Françoise Chavanne, Prétexte, instinct et intuition à l'œuvre, 2023
Elga Heinzen, Le langage des plis, Pascal Bonafoux's texts, exhibition catalogue, 2016
Pascal Bonafoux, E. H. ou les plis, brief introduction to a permanence of the work of Elga Heinzen, 2016
Pascal Bonafoux, Chimères, 2014
Elga Heinzen: permanence du pli, Claude Ber, Elga Heinzen and Pascal Bonafoux, Descartes & Cie, 2005
Pascal Bonafoux, Colline di sienes, 2003
Les Plis, Nadine Vasseur Le Seuil, pp. 60-61-133-141-142-143, 2002
Le Pli, Gilles Deleuze, Les Editions De Minuit, pp. 52-53, 1988
American Art Galleries – The Illustrated Guide to their Art and Artists, edited and published by Les Krantz, p.173, 1985
A Passion for Art – selections from the collection of Richard Brown Baker – Post W.W.II European Art, exhibition catalogue, 1990
Nœuds Et Ligatures, Gilbert Lascaux, Centre National Des Arts Plastiques, 1983
Grandes femmes. Petits formats, Iris Clert's texts, exhibition catalogue, 1974
Press (selection)
Annick Colonna-Césari, Galeries et marchands d'art, jouer le jeu des JO ou pas ?, La Gazette Drouot, 2024
Les femmes artistes gagnent du terrain, Beaux-Arts Magazine, 2024
Art Paris, une oasis dans la tourmente, Le Figaro, 2023
Formes biomorphiques et plis, Beaux-Arts, 2023
Cécile Lefranc, Décryptage : 6 nouvelles tendances surprenantes qui agitent le marché du dessin, Connaissance des Arts, 2023
Nicolas Macé, Elga Heinzen, le langage des plis, Art Absolument, 2016
Exposition Terra Di Siena, Marie Claire, n°547, 1998
C.L. Lemand, Connaissance des Arts, n°547, 1998
Celebrating Light, Ambassador, p. 27, February 1997
Vogue, n° 770, p.229, September 1996
Geraldine Norman, Contemporary Art Market, The Independent, 1991
New York Times, 1990
Arts International, n°12, Autumn 1990
Art Now, September 1990
Arts Magazine, September 1990
Faye Hirsch, Elga Heinzen, Arts Magazine, p.86, December 1990
Art Now, February 1988
Cosmopolitain n°166, September 1987
Claude Libert, Plis et Replis, L'Europe des Arts, September 1987
L'Œil, n°386, September 1987
L'art du drapé, Décoration Internationale, n°99, September 1987
Denis Picard, Corps absents, Connaissance des Arts, July 1987
La Gazette Drouot, n°29, July 17th 1987
M.L. Tremblay, ARTtravel tours France, Artspeak, Summer 1987
Catherine Terzieff, Carmet se roule dans les draps, 7 à Paris, n°297, July /August 1987
Marie Edith-Milleret, Drapeaux en berne, Maison Française, n°386, 1985
AAA, 1985
La Gazette Drouot, n°21, May 24th 1985
L'Œil, n°358, April 1985
Jean-Louis Ferrier, Le Point, n°657, April 22nd 1985
Représenter le tissu, Textile/art, n°10, pp.24-27, Winter 1984
Grace Glueck, Art: , The New York Times, February 4th 1983
Jean-Luc Chalumeau, Opus International n°76, 1980
The New Yorker, December 15th 1980
Télérama, n°1609, p.83, November 1980
Arts Magazine, May 1978
Jean-Luc Chalumeau, Paris II, Opus International, n°74, 1977
René Micha, Warhol ; Elga Heinzen ; Red Grooms, Art International, July-August, 1977
Pierre Mazars, Les cordages d'Heinzen, Le Figaro, June 5th 1977
Les 99 femmes d'Iris Clert…, Connaissance des Arts, 1974
Metafisica pop di Elga Heinzen, Gallerie d'Arte, November 24th 1970
Talks and documentaries
1999
Meeting with contemporary artist on the theme of folding, Louvre Museum, France
1998
Il voit des plis partout, Claude Weiler, directed by Guy Girard, coproduction La Sept Arte, Les Champs blancs, the Georges Pompidou Center and ARTE
Collections (selection)
Ministry of Culture, Paris, France
National Fund for Contemporary Art, Paris, France
Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, Los Angeles, United States
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, United States
National Bank of Paris, Paris, France
Museum of Art and History, Geneva, Switzerland
Private collections