A Closer Look by Agathe Bouton
FRIEDAcommunity
Feb. 7, 2024 - Apr. 20, 2025
FRIEDAcommunity is proud to announce the show A Closer Look by Agathe Bouton.
The exhibition will be on view from February 7 to April 20.
FRIEDAcommunity will host an opening reception on Friday, February 7, the First Friday in February, from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Agathe Bouton is a French printmaker and multimedia artist known for her contemporary approach to printmaking. She earned her BFA and MFA from ESAA (School of Applied Arts) Duperré in Paris. Over the past 20 years, Bouton has lived and exhibited in cities around the world. Bouton was a finalist in the 2023 Annual International Competition of The Print Center in Philadelphia. She received the 2024 Louise K. Binswanger Prize for Best New Artist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show. Her work is in the collections of prestigious collections in France and the U.S.
As a storyteller, I draw from my experiences and travels to create abstract art reflecting diverse cultures and histories. My work explores color atmospheres that evoke comfort and narrative. Using a contemporary approach to printmaking, I focus on improvisation and layering, finding freedom in transforming paper. I also draw inspiration from engraving and etching, showcasing a wide spectrum of color.
My “Burmese Days” series is inspired by the rich textiles of Burma (Myanmar), where I lived from 2006 to 2010. That inspiration came from the shape of pleated skirts, which are common in a region of Burma, when they are laid flat or flared out in a full spin. I explore the beauty and meaning of these fabrics through relief prints and monoprints on Burmese handmade mulberry paper, and I add stitching by hand.
My pieces hint at how these clothes are worn, washed, faded by the sun, lashed by rain, torn, repaired, and worn again. I aim to reflect the lifespan of a skirt from the intricacies of the original sewing to the repairs, often crude, that add layers of color and interest. I want to show that these deeply valued textiles bear witness to the lives of the women who grow, play, work, celebrate, and die within them. My work challenges the viewer to imagine moments of these lives – from the special to the mundane.