From 13 March to 18 April 2026
Galerie Les Yeux Fertiles, 27 rue de Seine, Paris 6e
Opening on Thursday 12 March 2026, 5 to 9 pm
The Galerie Les Yeux Fertiles is honoured to announce the seventh exhibition devoted to the masterly work of Bernard Saby. On this occasion we shall have the privilege of unveiling a selection of previously unseen works, offering a fresh look at one of the most singular worlds of the twentieth century.
A celebration and a remembrance
Originally planned for the autumn of 2025 to celebrate the centenary of the artist’s birth, forty years after his historic retrospective at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, this exhibition now takes on a particular dimension.
It is intended as a double tribute: to Bernard Saby, of course, but also to the memory of Stéphane Gatti, who died suddenly in 2025. Stéphane played an essential part in the rediscovery and passionate exploration of this unique body of work; his influence and dedication pervade this programme.
Exploring depth
Saby’s work is an invitation to an inner journey. As he confided to Michel Butor in 1963:
“One day a depth began to appear in my paintings, and I went into it, I threw myself headlong into exploring it.”
Through his casein gouaches and dense compositions, Saby invites us into that interstice where form is born of the void, creating a fascinating mental topography.
“One must be Klee, Wols, Saby or nothing!” Claude Roy
The Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou, acquired 5 drawings from our 2012 exhibition, then devoted exclusively to drawings. His works can also be seen at the Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris (2 acquisitions in 2008, after those made at the time of the 1986 retrospective), as well as at the Château de Rochechouart, contemporary art centre of the Haute-Vienne (gift of J. de la Casinière), the Musée de l’Hospice Saint-Roch in Issoudun (Zao Wou-ki donation) and the Musée Unterlinden in Colmar (Person donation).
On Friday 17 April 2026 at 6 pm, a presentation of his work through quotations from some illustrious writings on his painting, including those of Pierre Boulez, Michel Butor, Armand and Stéphane Gatti, André Berne-Joffroy, Jean-Jacques Lebel, André Pieyre de Mandiargues and Xavier-Gilles Néret.
Artist: Bernard Saby