Louis Chacallis — Groupe 70 / École de Nice
Birth: 1943 in Algiers
Nationality: French
Movement: Groupe 70, École de Nice
Education: École des Arts Décoratifs de Nice
Artistic Journey
A founding member of the Groupe 70 in Nice, Louis Chacallis began exploring the role of the medium in painting during the 1970s. He experimented with humble materials—cardboard, fabric, wood, wire mesh—cutting, folding, or crumpling them to challenge traditional supports. His work later evolved toward figurative series (Indians, Masks, Armors) and anamorphoses that play with perspective and point of view. In the 2000s, he also created monumental sculptures and light-objects inspired by oriental lanterns.
Major Works
Anamorphosis “Nude Woman” – Painted cardboard sculpture revealing a female silhouette only from a precise angle.
Honorables Armors – Painted cardboard sculptures resembling suspended armors, evoking both the body and memory.
“Indians” Series – Figurative works inspired by Native American cultures, blending symbolism and abstraction.
Masks – Sculptures deconstructing and reconstructing the human face in poetic and abstract forms.
The Foundations of the Sky (2005) – Monumental steel sculpture with colorful cubes, installed outdoors, in dialogue with the sky.
