I was inspired by the title of this event: “Fauteuils en Scène”. I recalled an image: Hitchcock sitting on his director chair holding an umbrella. He was shooting an outdoor scene of one of his movies. It was raining. The subject of water was there.”
Philippe Leray was born in 1944 in Paris. After his studies in applied arts and decoration, he has created showcases, stands, and focused on flat decoration and publishing. He devoted himself to drawing and painting in 1965.
He exhibited his works for the first time at the Cardo-Matignon gallery in Paris in 1968, together with painter Maï Thu. He exclusively worked with ink and pencil up to 1978. In 1970, he left Paris to settle down in Normandy, close to Lisieux. He created a holiday resort for dogs that is now well-known. In 1977, he was the first artist to exhibit his portraits of cinema stars at the American Film Festival of Deauville. In 1979, he created a series of contemporary furniture called “Bois et Lumière". From 1984 to 1990, his exhibitions, usually exclusively based on pastel works, started including paintings and sculptures. Women, landscapes, felines are his favourite subjects. In 1993, he opened his own studio called "L'Art du temps", close to Bayeux. He delivered lessons and invited friends to exhibit there. In 1999, he went back to the Pays d’Auge.
Since 2012, he has been exhibiting his works every year in Cambremer (Calvados). The subject chosen "C'est beau la vie” (Life is nice) became the common thread of future exhibitions. Ink, pastels, oil are matters he associates with passion.