Jean du Buffet

In his *Paris Circus* (1961) series, Dubuffet explores the interplay between reality and fantasy, depicting the human figure as a kind of grotesque carnival performer. These works, characterized by their vibrant, almost chaotic use of color and form, reveal Dubuffet's deep engagement with the absurdity and complexity of human life, embracing both humor and darkness. His forms are exaggerated and distorted, often appearing as if they are made from the very textures and materials that surround us—earth, stone, or the raw, unmediated surfaces of the world.

A radical figure in the art world, Dubuffet rejected the dominance of fine art institutions, favoring instead the art of those on the margins—outsiders, the untrained, the self-taught—whose work, in his view, represented a truer, more liberated form of expression. His concept of *Art Brut* was not just an aesthetic stance but a philosophy, advocating for art that came from a deep, unfiltered place within the artist. He saw this art as a means of freeing oneself from societal conventions, and it influenced not only his own work but also the development of various art movements that emphasized the spontaneity and freedom of creation.

Born in Le Havre, France, Dubuffet initially studied painting in Paris, but his early years were marked by a rejection of academic art training. He went on to work in a variety of fields, including as a wine merchant, before fully committing to art in his 30s. His mature work, especially in the 1940s and 1950s, would come to define the postwar period's push toward abstraction and the celebration of the raw and unrefined. Later in life, Dubuffet began working on large-scale sculptures and architectural projects, extending his radical vision of art into the public realm.