Philippe HANIEZ
Nationality :
French
Age :
69 y.o.
Residing :
France
Philippe HANIEZ
Mixed technique, Sculpture
Artist’s prices ranging from
470 € to 1 900 €
Followers Art Traffikers
0

Each artwork has its own narrative and story to tell, from the moment the idea, the intention if you will, dawns on me, up to the very last fixing point of the warp and weft…weaving through the fabric’s days of yore, for I work only with recycled cloths.

Philippe HANIEZ

Introducing Philippe HANIEZ

Abstraction and aesthetics resulting from the light and shadow and the rigidity and fluidity that stem from the fabrics. This is how we could summarize the fruit of Philippe Haniez's creations. The Art Traffik Team has fallen head-over-heels for this artist, although unrenowned yet whose technique is quite original !

Philippe's background? Architectural studies which allowed him to develop his artistic flair for drawing, perspectives and technique, but more importantly, an approach and familiarization with the creative process: grasping the constraints one must impose himself in order to stimulate the imagination, when in search of solutions and with the intention of creating something original. He later obtained a postgraduate degree in science and economics which finally led him to orient his career path towards banking and finance... a profession quite distant from that of Art.

Too distant apparently, for after 7 years spent concentrating on his professional life, Philippe Haniez felt the desire, not to say the need, to create... " Something was lacking; I must have undoubtedly been missing something. From my architecture studies, I have kept the need to draw and create, which I did, occasionally, when friends would ask for my advice about their house or a decor, but it just wasn’t enough ".

 

He knows and can explain why this void drove him to create. The circumstances around the how and why that led him to his technique, that’s another story... He recalls : " On the one hand, and without truly understanding why, I’ve always had the habit of keeping stuff. I don't like to throw things away. I used to fill jars with used wrappings like candy or cookie casings, even cigarette packs. I kept my old ties and refused to throw away worn out linens, tablecloths and scarves. I then went on to buy a roll of chicken wire, netting made of very small squares, because I needed a framework for my “playground”. The square shape has always been important to me for it reminds me of my architecture days; it is also an extraordinary support which can contain circles and triangles, yet it has its constraints, like the walls of a cell from which one wishes to escape. I then began assembling, sewing and stapling the stuff I kept on the wire netting. It brought me such a pleasure that I haven’t stopped since ".

Without knowing it then, Philippe Haniez had created his first artworks. His pleasure comes from creating and exploring new materials and their many possibilities, depending on their resistance, elasticity, rigidity and flexibility... and always with the same meticulous assembly. He kept his favorite artworks for his home. And as you can imagine, friends and family offered to buy his works while others encouraged him to show his work, introducing him to galleries and art lovers...Over several years, he exhibited his artworks occasionally.

These exhibits were more the result of opportunities that presented themselves to him rather than a desire or quest for recognition. Until one day, one of his friends (and Art Traffik customer) spoke of us to him. That’s how Philippe Haniez came to cross the threshold of our gallery, bearing under his arm a few of his works with him. A month later, I met him again in his home to see more of his artworks. Without hesitation, I then knew he belonged in the Art Traffik selection and that his work had to be made known to a wider audience, at its fair value.

Philippe Haniez

His work? I am inclined to say that one should disregard how and what they are made of, in order to truly appreciate the many aesthetic and abstract qualities they offer. "Even if each piece is the fruit of a meticulous intention, and regardless of what I see in them, I want people to wander and see what they want to see. " It is important to keep in mind that Philippe Haniez’s creative intention behind an artwork stems from a desire, and for which he already has a title in mind. He visualizes his work before creating it, and this is what gives him great pleasure: succeeding the technical challenge of physically recreating what is in his mind. It is the material - fabric, veil, paper, leather - that will generate the image and arouse the desire to set it in motion. But, sometimes it's the other way around: the image is there and he has to look for the most suitable fabric that will allow it to be materialized.

During the construction itself, there is little room for improv. Philippe Haniez wants to materialize what he has in mind by folding, crumpling, sometimes enhancing the material with ink or paint. Gruellingly, he must deal with the strains of the material (each reacts differently and not always the way he wants it to) and the many points of attachment on the netting.

But it is clear that, over years of experimenting, trials and desires, the artist has acquired a mastery of this technique. On the one hand, he has learned from what he calls his "curiosity", that which leads him to experiment, and on the other, the "constraints", that which forces him to find solutions. 

Philipe HANIEZ

"As in architecture, where one must create, imagine a structure, a form according to technical constraints (the terrain, materials, wind, the surrounding environment altogether), I like this long process of pensiveness and elaboration which leads to the creation of an original work. I start with a rectilinear, square, geometrical base in which to infuse fluidity, motion and undulation. Like the water of a river flows and encounters rocks and obstacles on its way, deforming itself to fit its environment, my points of attachment create a movement and generate undulations on the fabric I fondle ".

Like a painter who choose colors from which the play of light and shadow arises, Philippe Haniez chooses his material, presses it, folds it, staples it. "I have always been fascinated by the drapery of classical paintings. "

 

The result of his creation are unique and singular artworks which emerge from meticulous work and Philippe’s relationship with fabrics. "I must admit that I have a hard time breaking myself from them. I have a history, a direct relationship with all of them. None of them are easy, and only when they are finished can I appreciate (or not) the end result. The aesthetics of my work is not an end in itself, because what drives me most is the creative process ". Philippe admits

he hates talking about his work per se. What he likes to talk about is his passion for fabrics, the technical problems associated with them, his desire and, last but not least, his pleasure in creating. He is eager to undergo new experiences, and even dreams of creating larger formats despite the physical difficulty this entails. "I don't attach any particular meaning to my work, other than the emotional pleasure that comes from abstraction; larger pieces would allow me to sublimate it and take it to another level. "

So, like I said previously : disregard what Philippe Haniez's artworks are made of, forget the technique ! Just enjoy the evasion and emotion they arouse. Let them speak to you, listen to their tale and souvenirs they recount, or simply appreciate their aesthetics.

 

And as you’ve probably guessed it by now, he’s an artist you’ll want to keep a close eye on ! But in case you’re wondering why…well, he’s tingling with desire for future creations, and we intend to have him join the ranks of "master certified" artists !