A message of happiness and hope
Work offered to Lille residents and travelers
JonOne’s new work for Lille, “Welcome to the Station,” offers travelers and residents of Lille a breath of fresh air, and a message of happiness and hope.
On a support of azulejos, Portuguese ceramics, he paints directly his abstract, colorful work as the material vibrates with his brushstroke. This monumental work is a sparkling tribute to the city of Lille, a region at the heart touched by the warmth of its inhabitants.
For more than 15 years, the artist has been working with artisans, as shown in the solo exhibition “La Temptation du Décor” at La Piscine Museum in Roubaix. Thus, for several years, JonOne has been collaborating with the Portuguese company Viuva Lamego, the oldest still operating azulejos company, with which Lille has collaborated notably on works by Hervé de Rosa and Etel Adnan. For this permanent installation in a public space, JonOne has applied a unique painting and pigmentation technique to these ceramics in order to obtain the most intense display. Then street art regains its place in the street in a way that combines painting, arts and crafts, for a unique dialogue between contemporary creativity and the heritage of tomorrow.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
- Credit: Daniel Rabish.
JonOne, a self-taught artist
John Andrew Perillo, better known as John One, was born in 1963 in New York, USA, and lives and works in Paris.
JonOne creates abstract works influenced by movement, color, and energy, while other graffiti artists create figurative works.
JonOne, a self-taught artist, began painting on canvas in 1985 because it offered the potential to leave an imprint over time.
His first solo exhibition, Graffiti, was held in 1990 at Galerie Gledetich 45 in Berlin, Germany. This was followed by group and personal exhibitions all over the world (Tokyo, Monaco, Paris, Geneva, New York, Hong Kong, Brussels, etc.).
Learn more about the artist and his work:
Lille is the city of art and artists
Since “Lille 2004, European Capital of Culture”, the city of Lille has participated in a program of commissioning works of art in the public space, entitled “Lille, City of Art and Artists”. With the support of private sector partners, this program enables the development of a large-scale public commission policy and the strengthening of the presence of contemporary art in the regions of Lille.
Several art projects have been installed in the public space:
- “Shangri-La Lily” by Yayoi Kusama, set for François Mitterrand (2003),
- “The Green Night is Enormous” by Sarkis at Rameau Palace (2004).
- Migratory Birds from Etel Adnan to Fives-Kyle (2018)
- and most recently, Xavier Veilhan’s “Romy” in the front yard of Gare Lille Flandres (2019).
- And many other businesses that you can discover in the streets of Lille…
All works.
