Yann Leto: Big City

JD Malat Gallery is thrilled to present Big City, a solo exhibition by French artist Yann Leto. On view from 2 February 2023 until 4 March 2023, the show elucidates the universal concept of 'Big City' life with its conventional enigmatic ambience inspired by Leto's fascination with the visual vocabulary of the early 1900s. Exploring the ubiquitous characteristics of the 20th century such as jazz, alcohol, prostitution and lust, Leto endeavours to capture the heterogeneity of the aesthetics of the time and encapsulate a witty contemporary twist in the depicted narratives.

 

Currently based in Rome, Italy, Leto constantly challenges his artistic practice, drawing inspiration from the atmosphere of the cities where he has lived. Chaotic, historical, perpetual, Rome allows Leto to embrace the energising and unpredictable city life, providing him with endless inspiration for his own work. Focusing on fictional chronicles that feature scenes inspired by social realism, Leto has always been strongly influenced by the American and French comics and the underground culture of the 90s, as well as by German expressionism of the post-war period. This fusion of humour and sarcasm, while reflecting on challenges that people face throughout their lives, is vividly explored in his works.