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Francois du Plessis

"I’m interested in forms and colours and the aesthetic of nature is the thing that inspires me the most. You might notice that a lot of my works look like tree stumps. I love walking through the forest and take photos of all interesting organic forms. For me all forms in nature are perfect. In contrast to the conscious striving of a linear progress in society, nature doesn’t always have a choice, as trees can’t decide how they grow. It’s the mixture of both, the inner energy and the outer influences which create the perfection in nature to me." - Francois du Plessis

Biography

François du Plessis's book objects are made of many layers of printed pages, velvety linen bindings or soft covers, and colorful bookmarks. From these simple materials, he transforms books into sculptures that rarely resemble books but rather cross-sections of trees or aerial views of terraced landscapes with swirls of brilliant color. His evocative titles- "The Vanishing Princess," "Enchantress of Numbers," "Days Without End" suggest that he's interested in stories, though his work turns them into something alien and new.

Born in Zimbabwe, du Plessis has exhibited internationally, including at art fairs in Cologne, Brussels, and Amsterdam, and in galleries and private collections throughout Europe. He lives
and works in Germany.

Born

1961 Zimbabwe, Africa.


Selected Exhibitions

2025  AAF Hamburg, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague, Netherlands

          Mittendrin, Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen, Germany

          Beyond the Lines, Kunstraum Nr. 10, Mönchengladbach, Germany

2024  Art The Hague, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague, Netherlands

           Versus, Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen, Germany

           Kaleidoscoop, Galerie Lieve Lambrecht, Meerendree, Belgium

           About Books and Hidden Stories,- Galerie Probst, Berlin, Germany

2023  AAF New York, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague

          Lost and Found,with Patrick Tagoe-Turkson, Artco Gallery, Brussels, Belgium

          AAF Brussels, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague

2022  Summertime, Galerie Lieve Lambrecht, Merendree, Belgium

          The Secret of Colour, Galerie Lieve Lambrecht, Merendree, Belgium

          KunstRAI,Amsterdam, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague

2021  Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco, CA

            Chiefs & Spirits at Art on Paper 2021, Chiefs & Spirits

            Chiefs & Spirits at Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Art Wynwood, Chiefs & Spirits

2019 Art Palm Springs, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Palm Springs, CA

         Art Market San Francisco, Caldwell Snyder Gallery

         SCOPE Miami, Caldwell Snyder Gallery

2018 35th Anniversary Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2018 LA Art Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2018 Art Market San Francisco, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, SF, CA.

2017 Gallery Freitag, Aachen, Germany.

           St. Mortiz Art Masters, Switzerland.

2016 Gallery Freitag, Aachen, Germany.

2015 Gallery Freitag, Aachen, Germany.

           Art Fair, Cologne, Germany.

           “Book Stories” - Stern Wywiol Gallery, Hamburg, Germany.

           Contemporary Art Fair, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

           “Livres D’Artistes” – Espace St. Mengold-Huy, Belgium.

           Art Karlsruhe, Germany.

           KunstRai, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

           Positions Berlin, Germany.

2014 Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen

           Art.Fair, Köln

           “Papier Biennale 2014”, Museum Rijswijk, Netherlands.

2013 “Book Stories” – Kunstverein Xanten

           “Book Stories” – Galerie Negen Punt Negen, Roeselare

           “ART 2013 Art Fair”- Utrecht, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Book Stories” – Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen, Germany.

           “Reactivation”- Betonbox, Düsseldorf

           “DIE GROSSE Kunstausstellung NRW Düsseldorf” – Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf

           “Affordable Art Fair” – Brüssel, Belgien, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

2012 “Miniaturen” – Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen

           “Affordable Art Fair” – Hamburg, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Affordable Art Fair” – Amsterdam, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Arti 12 Art Fair” – Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

           “Gruppenausstellung”- Galerie T, Middelburg

           “Art Ulm – Int. Kunstmesse”- Artco Galerie, Herzogenrath

           “Open Art Fair” – Utrecht, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Ostrale”- Ostragehege, Dresden

           “Zeitgenössische afrikanische Künstler in der Sammlung”-

           (Kindermann Sammlung), Pfalzmuseum Forchheim

           “Art and Antique Fair”- Rosmalen, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

           “Livres D´ idéés de Livres”- Musée des Beaux-Arts, Verviers

           “Gastarbeiten”- Nadel Fabrik, Aachen

           “DIE GROSSE Kunstausstellung NRW Düsseldorf”- Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf

2011 “Neue Positionen”- In Situ, Maastricht/NL”Miniaturen”- Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen.

           “Small is Beautiful”- Monos Art Gallery, Lüttich

           “Arti 11 Art Fair”- Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

           “Alternate Current”- Slib, Hasselt

Press

PRESS

Selected Artworks

The Reckoning

The Reckoning

Cut Books

16 x 16 x 2 inches

25256

Grays

Grays

Cut Books

16 x 16 x 2 inches

25255

Cross

Cross

Cut Books

11 x 11 x 2 inches

25254

Meant to Be | SOLD

Meant to Be | SOLD

Cut Books

23.6 x 23.6 x 1.5 inches

25101

May The Force be With You | SOLD

May The Force be With You | SOLD

Cut Books

24.4 x 24.4 x 1.5 inches

25100

The Summer Place | SOLD

The Summer Place | SOLD

Cut Books

25.9 x 25.9 x 1.5 inches

25099

The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Cut Books & Textiles

29 x 30 x 2 inches

220143

Gold Fever Edition

Gold Fever Edition

Cut Books

20 X 20 X 2 inches

220142

Comedy of Errors

Comedy of Errors

Cut Books

28 x 28 x 2 inches

220132

Born

1961 Zimbabwe, Africa.


Selected Exhibitions

2025  AAF Hamburg, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague, Netherlands

          Mittendrin, Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen, Germany

          Beyond the Lines, Kunstraum Nr. 10, Mönchengladbach, Germany

2024  Art The Hague, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague, Netherlands

           Versus, Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen, Germany

           Kaleidoscoop, Galerie Lieve Lambrecht, Meerendree, Belgium

           About Books and Hidden Stories,- Galerie Probst, Berlin, Germany

2023  AAF New York, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague

          Lost and Found,with Patrick Tagoe-Turkson, Artco Gallery, Brussels, Belgium

          AAF Brussels, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague

2022  Summertime, Galerie Lieve Lambrecht, Merendree, Belgium

          The Secret of Colour, Galerie Lieve Lambrecht, Merendree, Belgium

          KunstRAI,Amsterdam, Gallery Chiefs and Spirits, The Hague

2021  Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco, CA

            Chiefs & Spirits at Art on Paper 2021, Chiefs & Spirits

            Chiefs & Spirits at Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Art Wynwood, Chiefs & Spirits

2019 Art Palm Springs, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Palm Springs, CA

         Art Market San Francisco, Caldwell Snyder Gallery

         SCOPE Miami, Caldwell Snyder Gallery

2018 35th Anniversary Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2018 LA Art Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2018 Art Market San Francisco, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, SF, CA.

2017 Gallery Freitag, Aachen, Germany.

           St. Mortiz Art Masters, Switzerland.

2016 Gallery Freitag, Aachen, Germany.

2015 Gallery Freitag, Aachen, Germany.

           Art Fair, Cologne, Germany.

           “Book Stories” - Stern Wywiol Gallery, Hamburg, Germany.

           Contemporary Art Fair, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

           “Livres D’Artistes” – Espace St. Mengold-Huy, Belgium.

           Art Karlsruhe, Germany.

           KunstRai, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

           Positions Berlin, Germany.

2014 Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen

           Art.Fair, Köln

           “Papier Biennale 2014”, Museum Rijswijk, Netherlands.

2013 “Book Stories” – Kunstverein Xanten

           “Book Stories” – Galerie Negen Punt Negen, Roeselare

           “ART 2013 Art Fair”- Utrecht, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Book Stories” – Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen, Germany.

           “Reactivation”- Betonbox, Düsseldorf

           “DIE GROSSE Kunstausstellung NRW Düsseldorf” – Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf

           “Affordable Art Fair” – Brüssel, Belgien, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

2012 “Miniaturen” – Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen

           “Affordable Art Fair” – Hamburg, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Affordable Art Fair” – Amsterdam, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Arti 12 Art Fair” – Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

           “Gruppenausstellung”- Galerie T, Middelburg

           “Art Ulm – Int. Kunstmesse”- Artco Galerie, Herzogenrath

           “Open Art Fair” – Utrecht, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag.

           “Ostrale”- Ostragehege, Dresden

           “Zeitgenössische afrikanische Künstler in der Sammlung”-

           (Kindermann Sammlung), Pfalzmuseum Forchheim

           “Art and Antique Fair”- Rosmalen, Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

           “Livres D´ idéés de Livres”- Musée des Beaux-Arts, Verviers

           “Gastarbeiten”- Nadel Fabrik, Aachen

           “DIE GROSSE Kunstausstellung NRW Düsseldorf”- Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf

2011 “Neue Positionen”- In Situ, Maastricht/NL”Miniaturen”- Galerie Freitag 18.30, Aachen.

           “Small is Beautiful”- Monos Art Gallery, Lüttich

           “Arti 11 Art Fair”- Galerie Chiefs and Spirits, Den Haag

           “Alternate Current”- Slib, Hasselt

François du Plessis's book objects are made of many layers of printed pages, velvety linen bindings or soft covers, and colorful bookmarks. From these simple materials, he transforms books into sculptures that rarely resemble books but rather cross-sections of trees or aerial views of terraced landscapes with swirls of brilliant color. His evocative titles- "The Vanishing Princess," "Enchantress of Numbers," "Days Without End" suggest that he's interested in stories, though his work turns them into something alien and new.

Born in Zimbabwe, du Plessis has exhibited internationally, including at art fairs in Cologne, Brussels, and Amsterdam, and in galleries and private collections throughout Europe. He lives
and works in Germany.

Francois du Plessis
Biography

Press

"I’m interested in forms and colours and the aesthetic of nature is the thing that inspires me the most. You might notice that a lot of my works look like tree stumps. I love walking through the forest and take photos of all interesting organic forms. For me all forms in nature are perfect. In contrast to the conscious striving of a linear progress in society, nature doesn’t always have a choice, as trees can’t decide how they grow. It’s the mixture of both, the inner energy and the outer influences which create the perfection in nature to me." - Francois du Plessis

Francois du Plessis

François du Plessis’s book objects are made of many layers of printed pages, velvety linen bindings or soft covers, and colorful bookmarks. From these simple materials, he transforms books into sculptures that rarely resemble books but rather cross-sections of trees or aerial views of terraced landscapes with swirls of brilliant color.

"I’m interested in forms and colours and the aesthetic of nature is the thing that inspires me the most. You might notice that a lot of my works look like tree stumps. I love walking through the forest and take photos of all interesting organic forms. For me all forms in nature are perfect. In contrast to the conscious striving of a linear progress in society, nature doesn’t always have a choice, as trees can’t decide how they grow. It’s the mixture of both, the inner energy and the outer influences which create the perfection in nature to me." - Francois du Plessis

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