Roger-François Thépot
Roger-François Thépot (1923–2003), also known as François Thépot, was a self-taught French artist known for his geometric abstract paintings. His ordered and balanced compositions commonly feature rectangular and polygonal elements in grey and black.
Thépot began painting in 1945 without formal training. His early work features landscapes and still lifes in a dark colour palette of black, dark greens, purples, and blues. In 1947, he moved to Paris to dedicate himself to his art, however, he ceased painting and instead focused on ceramics. He resumed painting in 1950 and began moving towards abstraction. Having completely abandoned figuration by 1951, he began developing his signature style of grey polygonal compositions throughout the second half of the 1950s. In 1953, Thépot began managing the Théâtre de Poche in Paris. This position, along with his role as a painter, embedded Thépot in the Parisian art world, allowing him to encounter many important artists that went on to influence his work, such as Jean Arp.
Thépot began exhibiting his work in salons and exhibitions in 1954, and in 1961 he was a founding member of a group called “Measure” in Paris. In 1964, Thépot obtained a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and he spent several winters teaching at the Ontario College of Art, spending the summer months in France. His work has been exhibited internationally in cities such as Paris, Brussels, Bruges, and Toronto. His paintings are also held in numerous public and private collections internationally, such as the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, among others.