Francois Boucheix

French surrealist painter, sculptor and printmaker François Boucheix was born in 1940 in the small mountain village of Monts d’Auvergne. After his father’s death when he was 15, Boucheix moved to Paris to work in the hotel business, though he never abandoned his passion for art and often painted late into the night. By age 17, he was studying with Jean de Rocca Serra, and in 1960 he earned his first exhibition in Tunisia before showing in the south of France.
His first major exhibition came in 1964 at the Sevres Gallery in Paris, where he exhibited for several years alongside internationally renowned artists including Lebasque, Freiz and Marie Laurencin. During this period, he met the Japanese-French master Foujita, who encouraged him and traded paintings with him. He also met Salvador Dali, who praised his work. The two exhibited together in a show called “Dali to Boucheix,” which included works by the master historical painter Meisonnier. This experience convinced Boucheix to pursue a surrealist path, choosing to paint positive surrealistic imagery rather than the disturbing subjects typically found in surrealist painting.
Boucheix gained critical acceptance, with one prominent art writer from the newspaper “l’Aurore” claiming that with Boucheix, “Dali and Chagall’s successor had been found.” In 2002, he celebrated his 42nd anniversary as an artist by introducing sculpture, which has since become an important part of his work. His prizes include Le prix Lutetia at the Severes Gallery, a Leonardo da Vinci Gold Medal and a Palette d’Or Award at the International Festival of Arts. Boucheix is represented by Park West Gallery.