Studio Visit with Artist Maxime Jean Lefebvre - Inside Art With Michael Rose

Studio Visit with Artist Maxime Jean Lefebvre - Inside Art With Michael Rose

Area universities welcome artists from across the globe to Rhode Island. Talented interdisciplinary artist and professor Maxime Jean Lefebvre was drawn to the state from abroad to study printmaking. Since obtaining his graduate degree from RISD, Lefebvre has ensconced himself in the local scene, quickly earning accolades and contributing to the regional art community. A gifted maker working in a variety of media, he is an artist to watch.

 

Born and raised in France, Lefebvre completed his undergraduate training at the École Nationale Supérieure D’Art de Bourges, where he graduated with the highest honors. Deciding to go to the United States to continue his art education, Lefebvre was accepted into a number of American universities but made the choice to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. He earned his MFA in Printmaking in 2019. A resident at The Steel Yard from 2020 - 2022, Lefebvre also worked with local artists Jim Drain and at Dan Wood. As an active educator and visionary studio artist, Lefebvre is currently teaching in the Experimental and Foundation Studies Department at RISD and in the Visual Art Department at Wheaton College in nearby Massachusetts. He also teaches at The Steel Yard.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

 

 

Asked what he has enjoyed most about establishing his art practice in Rhode Island, Lefebvre enthusiastically answers, “Graduating from RISD connected me with many talented creatives, and I've cherished meeting artists at places like the Steel Yard or in my current studio in Pawtucket. Providence's dynamic art scene is truly inspiring, and it's incredibly energizing to be in contact with so much talent. The proximity to the ocean and the coastline is also creeping into my work; I've been experimenting with a wave pattern reminiscent of the one found on our license plates.”

 

 

In Lefebvre’s Pawtucket studio, he moves between different projects at a steady pace. Finished works include impressive and weighty tile-based images and contemporary amphoras constructed by slip-casting familiar shapes like milk jugs and detergent bottles. Slender lines of gold luster accentuate the seams of his forms. Imagery from the Civil War shows up in the artist’s work, leading to contemplation about the place of militarism in American society. Potent images of battlefield dead collide with graphic textures borrowed from camouflage. Lefebvre’s artwork is provocative and finely crafted.

 

 

Speaking of the interplay between the mediums in which he works, Lefebvre says, “My first love was printmaking, as I loved the idea of making multiples and making my work easier to disseminate and more accessible. Slip casting in ceramics came quite naturally; a mold holds a very similar function to a printmaking matrix. Print and clay can be quite complicated and force me to slow down and consider every step before approaching a new piece, which pairs well with my way of working.”

 

 

Much of Lefebvre’s work is experimental and pushes boundaries both narratively and technically. In a new print in progress, he uses printer toner as one element of a contemporary lithographic process. In slow strokes with a Q-tip, he applies subtle tones of blacks and grays to achieve a painterly effect on his plate. Emerging from his labor, one finds rhythmic and exacting waves that set off the geometric form of a Coast Guard cutter.

 

Lefebvre has already found an audience for his remarkable work and has exhibited widely including locally at The Newport Art Museum, The Sol Koffler Gallery, The Wurks Gallery, and Machines with Magnets. His work can also be found in the shop at The WaterFire Arts Center.

 

 

Looking forward, Lefebvre has exciting projects in the works. Laying out his future plans, the artist states, “I am working on a body of work exploring more personal narratives and am looking forward to sharing it, likely in 2025. My insatiable appetite for new ways of making has led me to experiment with stained glass and mosaic techniques, inspired by the historical display of stories and narratives across various eras. I am also working on cataloging and organizing available pieces on my website, so be sure to keep an eye out!”

 

He continues, “I am also included in a group show with other very talented printmakers at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. Andrew Raftery tasked us with reimagining contemporary hatboxes by lining them with our prints. The boxes will be part of the exhibition Transformations, opening on June 8th!”

 

 

Lefebvre is one of the most impressive contemporary artists based in Rhode Island. From well-conceived works executed in print media to thoughtful and inventive ceramics, he is making objects that blur the bounds of fine art and design. All the while, he imbues his forms with thought-provoking symbolism that will make audiences take a second look.

 

Learn more about Maxime Jean Lefebvre at www.maximejeanlefebvre.com.