Théo Tobiasse

A body of work between memory and light

Born Tobias Eidesas on 26 April 1927 in Jaffa, then part of Mandatory Palestine, Théo Tobiasse grew up in a Jewish family from Kaunas. He moved to Paris in 1931 and survived the Occupation in hiding with his family. Exile, memory and survival would remain enduring sources for his artistic language.

After the Liberation, he worked as a graphic designer for Draeger and created tapestry cartoons, stage sets and window displays for Hermès. He became a French citizen in 1950 and settled in Nice, drawn by the Mediterranean light. Awards received in 1961 enabled him to devote himself fully to art.

A painter, printmaker, sculptor, ceramicist and stained-glass artist, Tobiasse later divided his work between Saint-Paul-de-Vence and New York. His figurative art brings together childhood memories, biblical narratives, women, beloved cities and journeys. He died on 3 November 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer.

• A hidden childhood and exile feed a memory inhabited by silhouettes, families, departures and returns.
• The Bible and Jewish tradition run through prophets, songs, celebrations, Jerusalem and figures of transmission.
• Woman—as Venus, mother or lover—becomes a protective, sensual and often monumental presence.
• Nice, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Venice, Paris and New York form an intimate geography of travel.

The artist’s biography does not authenticate the selected pieces. Nice Antiques is not affiliated with the museum or estate.