JEAN-CLAUDE REUSSNER
Born in Switzerland in 1929, Jean-Claude Reussner developed a distinctive artistic practice at the intersection of painting and sculpture. At the age of twenty, he trained in the studios of André Lhote and Fernand Léger, two leading figures of French modernism, before presenting his first solo exhibitions in Geneva and Lausanne during the 1960s. This formative education provided him with a profound understanding of geometric construction and abstraction that would shape his work throughout his career.
In 1961, Reussner took over the family foundry, where he spent nearly two decades collaborating with numerous international artists. This direct engagement with sculpture, materials and fabrication processes had a lasting influence on his own practice. Throughout his life, he embraced this dual identity as both painter and sculptor, stating: "Above all, I remain a sculptor working in space."
From the 1960s onwards, his artistic language gradually evolved towards a rigorous form of geometric abstraction. His compositions are structured around refined lines, architectural rhythms and a sustained exploration of materiality. His work is distinguished by a particular sensitivity to light, which he shapes through the interplay of matte and polished surfaces, creating subtle visual tensions. This investigation reached full maturity in his celebrated Ka-Rê series, where colour, light and structure interact to produce a sense of inner movement.
Throughout his career, Reussner pursued a rigorous exploration of geometry, space and perception. Painting and sculpture remain in constant dialogue within his work, giving rise to compositions of remarkable formal precision while retaining a genuine chromatic sensuality.
Today, Jean-Claude Reussner is recognised as an important figure in European geometric abstraction, whose work forges an original connection between the Constructivist legacy, sculptural mastery and the exploration of light.
