Ellsworth Kelly's Water-Inspired Abstraction at Fondation Maeght

Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence presents 'Ellsworth Kelly – Aux bords de l'eau', an unprecedented exhibition exploring the American artist's lifelong relationship with water. Curated by Éric de Chassey, director of the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris and a specialist on Kelly, the show runs from June 27 to November 15, 2026. De Chassey emphasizes that water is crucial to understanding Kelly's work, as his abstract painting from 1949 onward drew from his observations of oceans, seas, and rivers. The exhibition traces Kelly's itineraries across Belle-Île-en-Mer, the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, Giverny, Sanary-sur-Mer, the Côte d'Azur, Coenties Slip in Manhattan's port area, and Saint-Martin in the Antilles. It juxtaposes abstract paintings with his observational landscape drawings, sculptures, and postcard collages where he placed geometric forms and fragments of nude bodies against seaside backdrops. The show offers insight into Kelly's creative process, revealing how he perceived daily life as geometric shapes. Kelly (1923–2015), a key figure in Color Field Painting known for large formats, is presented in a new light through this watery lens. The exhibition is featured in Beaux Arts Magazine's double summer issue (no. 505-506, July 2026).