Xavier de Vilmorin keeps alive emotions that must not be silenced.
Xavier de Vilmorin is a Parisian and 21st-century artist who escapes the Parisian gloom through his colorful paintings, dreamlike world, and poignant nostalgia. He is presenting an exhibition entitled "Born to Oneself" at the HD Galerie in the Marais district until January 16, 2026. The artist establishes a poetic tone and immerses each visitor in a bath of colors as charming as they are true to life.
His style is transdisciplinary, his vision colorful, his nostalgia poignant. Xavier de Vilmorin draws on the geometric forms of Cubism and the transformation of beauty found in Expressionism. Simplified details and a distortion of lines perfectly complement the boldness of his chosen colors. His figurative approach is evident in the composition of his paintings. The main figure is never alone; he is often accompanied by his emotions or a second protagonist. Xavier de Vilmorin sought to illustrate intimate conversations. Themes such as solitude, love, patience, and freedom allow him to construct these imagined scenes of life. Using acrylic and oil paints, as well as pastels, he excels at conveying the flow of emotions. Three words to define each of his paintings and a profusion of colors are enough to identify Xavier de Vilmorin's unique pictorial style, which transcends the simple rules of art. One gets the impression that he draws on "the good" of each movement that intrigues him, and that his paintings capture a joyful emotion, perceptible in his avoidance of detail.
In the exhibition "Born to Oneself," Xavier delves into the intimate, not only of himself, but also of the elements that surround him. The fabrics on which he paints are marked by their geometric patterns and their history. "Born to oneself is to speak of rebirth," Xavier de Vilmorin says, giving new life to fabric as well as placing the individual and their emotions at the heart of the subject. The Renaissance movement is characterized by this strong presence of humankind and its emotions at the center of painting, as exemplified by Leonardo da Vinci's famous "Mona Lisa." He paints on his worn fabrics, creating an effect of transparency that modestly expresses the new life the painter offers them. "Born to oneself" means discovering oneself, accepting that one does not conform to an imposed, identical image. The protagonists assert their voice, revealing their personality with a single word, "I will wait," "in body," or with a single gesture. Colors convey the unspoken and invisible emotions that stir within us: tension, love, joy, indifference, freedom… “To be born to oneself” is to accept oneself as one is born/is not. Then, we appreciate the expressionistic imperfection of Xavier de Vilmorin’s bodies and landscapes. Without this imperfection, nothing compels us to correct or accept what flows through us. It is not easy to be proud, so let us first be alive.
The exhibition is a touching respite in this polarized world where emotions are not afraid to be expressed. Could it be a message of tolerance, something we so desperately need today?
