Damien Poulain is an artist responding to various invitations, engaging with design, architecture, and the built and natural environments. His practice transmutes influences from Shintoist, primitive, and heraldic symbology, as well as contemporary material and digital culture, to propose a universal visual language. Through an evolving range of formats including textile, paint, sculpture, and ephemeral architectural volumes, he devises glyphic systems of geometry and color. These codes raise questions about the ways humans relate to each other, to their surroundings, and to the mystery of existence.
Poulain’s work is nomadic and contextual in nature. His imprint ranges from monumental interventions to small-scale paintings, which he produces in an ongoing series linked to place and time. He intends for his projects to invite cross-cultural engagement and build communities, disseminating a universal message of love, beauty, and possibility.
In addition to the public spaces that are Poulain’s preferred canvas, his work has been exhibited at solo shows in London at Kemistry Gallery and KK Outlet; in Tokyo at Calm and Punk Gallery and Claska; and group shows at the Museum of Graphic Design in Breda, Holland and 21_21 Museum in Tokyo.
Damien Poulain lives in Paris and works around the world.
Solo Exhibitions
2024 – Normandie Impressionniste 2024 at CHU Rouen, ‘Le Théâtre des Hasards’, France
2023 – Art Works Paris Seoul Gallery, ‘Thickness of Time’, Seoul, South Korea
2022 – Villa Noailles, ‘Ephemeral Pavilion’, Design Parade, Toulon, France
2021 – Conran Shop, ‘Memory is the Perfume of our Soul’, Seoul, South Korea
2018 – Atelier RLD, ‘Love’, Paris, France
2018 – ‘People Power’, Laurence Airline Popup Gallery, Paris, France
Group Exhibitions
2024 – Biennale Itineraires Graphiques, Lorient, France
2024 – Contemporary Art Center MABA, ‘S’Print’, Nogent Sur Marne, France
2024 – Boghossian Foundation – Villa Empain, ‘Josef and Anni Albers, A Mythical Couple’, Brussels, Belgium
2023 – Spazio Punch gallery, ‘Pareidolia. I See faces Everywhere’, Venezia, Italy
2022 – Potsdamer Platz, ‘Art Extravanganza’, Berlin, Germany
2022 – Centre del carme, Consorci de Museus, ‘Play with design’, Valencia, Spain
2022 – TiPi Gallery, ‘The Most Sunny Hour of Your Night’, Ghent, Belgium
2021 – Medieval Castle, ‘Les Temps d’Arts’, Saumur, France
2021 – East Sea International Art Pre-Biennale, ‘Wave’, South Korea
2021 – Palais Galerie, ‘Oasis’, Neuchatel, Switzerland
2021 – Urban Art Fair, Paris, France
2019 – Design Museum Le Signe, Chaumont, France
2019 – 21_21 Design Museum, ‘Sense of Humour’, Tokyo, Japan
2018 – Design Plaza Museum, Seoul, South Korea
2018 – Amnesty International ‘International Peace Day’, London, United Kingdom
2017 – Le Kiosque, ‘Nuit Blanche’, Mayenne, France
Residencies
2024 – Villa Noailles, Hyères, France
2023 – The Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, Ireland
2022 – GwinZegal, Guingamp, France
2022 – Villa Noailles, Design Parade, Toulon, France
2019 – The Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, Senegal
2018 – French Institute, Tokyo, Japan
2018 – Art Center La Métairie Bruyère, France
2018 – KAAF Institute, Iran
2016 – Ses Dotze Naus, Ibiza, Spain
Workshops
2024 – MABA Fondation des Artistes, Paris (FR)
2024 – Dyptique, Paris (FR) and London (UK)
2024 – Fabrica, Treviso (IT)
2024 – Villa Noailles, Hyères (FR)
2024 – Art School ESADSE, St Etienne (FR)
2023 – Graphic Matters, Breda (NL)
2022 – Villa Noailles, Toulon (FR)
2022 – City of Tsukuba Mirai (JP)
2022 – Ses Dotze Naus, Ibiza (SP)
2022 – Gwinzegal, Guingamp (FR)
2022 – Clermont Ferrand 2024 (FR)
2021 – Clermont Ferrand 2024 (FR)
2020 – Art Center La Métairie Bruyère (FR)
2020 – Photographic Center Rouen (FR)
2019 – St Martins Art School, London (UK)
2019 – Talk. Wolff Olins, London (UK)
2019 – Pompidou Center, Paris, (FR)
2019 – City of Geneva, Geneva (CH)
2019 – Design Museum Le Signe, Chaumont (FR)
2019 – Photographic Center Rouen (FR)
2018 – Typojanchy, Seoul (South Korea)
Press
2024 – Interview for Folk, London (UK)
2022 – Article in Folk, London (UK)
2021 – Interview for Lampoon Magazine (IT)
2021 – Interview for The Conran Shop, London (UK)
2021 – Interview for Corriere della Serra (IT)
2021 – Interview for Petit Bateau (FR)
2021 – Article in FT Magazine (UK)
2020 – Interview for AD Magazine (SP)
2020 – Article in Le Courier de L’Ouest (FR)
2020 – Article in Le Courier de L’Ouest (FR)
2020 – Article in Le Courier de L’Ouest (FR)
2020 – Article in Elle Deco (FR)
2019 – Interview for It’s Nice That (UK)
Collaborations
2024 – Folk Clothing (UK)
2024 – Make up Forever (UK)
2023 – Editions du Livre (FR)
2023 – Conran Kuwait (FR)
2023 – Dalbin Table (FR)
2022 – Folk Clothing (UK)
2022 – Conran Seoul (South Korea)
2022 – Apara (Brasil)
2022 – Conran London (FR)
2022 – Meriguet Carrere (FR)
2021 – RSVP Paris (FR)
2021 – Balineum (UK)
2020 – Conran Paris (FR)
2020 – Oysho (Spain)
2019 – Arco (NL)
2019 – Camper (JP)
2016 – Coutance wine (FR)
2016 – Lawrence King Publishing (UK)
Contact
Damien Poulain
Studio 4
20 Passage St Sébastien, 75011 Paris, France
T. +33 7 69 49 62 99
