Arno Boueilh is a French-born painter based in Naples. His work moves between expansive landscapes and still lifes rendered in a classical pictorial language, continuously translating the scenes and objects surrounding him onto canvas. 〈Luce nitida〉, presented at Galerie HeA, marks his first solo exhibition in Korea, bringing together works centered on the urban landscapes he has long observed.
Born in Paris in 1977, Boueilh developed an early sensitivity to drawing and architecture under the influence of his father, an architect. After studying fine art in Paris, he devoted himself fully to painting. Growing up between a French father and an Italian mother, he spent his childhood summers in the landscapes of Tuscany, later settling in Naples where he continues his practice. Within everyday scenes, he identifies moments of form and structure—capturing the clarity of architectural lines and the subtle gradations of light, and translating them onto the canvas. Rather than exaggerating or transforming his subjects, his work remains close to rendering the encountered moment with precision.
The exhibition title 〈Luce nitida〉, meaning “clear light” or “light that reveals form” in Italian, points to a central condition in Boueilh’s work. Light does not merely illuminate the surface; it structures perception, defining edges, separating planes, and making form legible. This quality of light is deeply tied to the place where he works. The strong Mediterranean sunlight of Naples intensifies chromatic purity—bright colors become brighter, shadows deepen—and sharply delineates both objects and architectural lines. The title encapsulates this specific sensibility shaped by the light of Naples.
The exhibition focuses on works in which architectural elements are particularly pronounced. Rather than presenting the city as a whole, Boueilh selects and isolates fragments, observing them at close range. Subjects are often presented frontally, and architecture reads as a planar structure. Repeated elements such as windows, walls, and façades create rhythm within the composition, while the interplay of closed surfaces and open spaces constructs a sense of order. Details such as dark interiors or air-conditioning units remain, while figures and narrative elements are omitted. The subject is not defined by what it represents, but by how it is perceived through relationships of light, plane, and structure.
Planes are further articulated through the contrast of light and shadow. Under Naples’ strong direct light, bright and dark areas are clearly separated, and color holds as a unified mass. The compositions maintain strong contrast while sustaining an overall sense of brightness and stability. This results in images that are both reduced and dense. Boueilh’s practice of retaining certain elements with persistence while decisively omitting others reveals his way of seeing.
Boueilh does not describe the city nor unfold it through narrative. Instead, he selects the structures where his gaze lingers and renders them clearly through light. In this exhibition, the viewer does not simply encounter a place, but experiences the density of a way of seeing it. Within structures clarified by light, the landscape becomes perceptible. His work is a record of a gaze that lingers—one that reads structure through light.
Installation View
Artworks
Luce nitida
Arno Boueilh Solo Exhibition
2026.04. 25 - 2026. 05. 03
Curated by Jiwon Lee
Organized by Galerie HeA
A Record of a Lingering Gaze
Jiwon Lee
Arno Boueilh is a French-born painter based in Naples. His work moves between expansive landscapes and still lifes rendered in a classical pictorial language, continuously translating the scenes and objects surrounding him onto canvas. 〈Luce nitida〉, presented at Galerie HeA, marks his first solo exhibition in Korea, bringing together works centered on the urban landscapes he has long observed.
Born in Paris in 1977, Boueilh developed an early sensitivity to drawing and architecture under the influence of his father, an architect. After studying fine art in Paris, he devoted himself fully to painting. Growing up between a French father and an Italian mother, he spent his childhood summers in the landscapes of Tuscany, later settling in Naples where he continues his practice. Within everyday scenes, he identifies moments of form and structure—capturing the clarity of architectural lines and the subtle gradations of light, and translating them onto the canvas. Rather than exaggerating or transforming his subjects, his work remains close to rendering the encountered moment with precision.
The exhibition title 〈Luce nitida〉, meaning “clear light” or “light that reveals form” in Italian, points to a central condition in Boueilh’s work. Light does not merely illuminate the surface; it structures perception, defining edges, separating planes, and making form legible. This quality of light is deeply tied to the place where he works. The strong Mediterranean sunlight of Naples intensifies chromatic purity—bright colors become brighter, shadows deepen—and sharply delineates both objects and architectural lines. The title encapsulates this specific sensibility shaped by the light of Naples.
The exhibition focuses on works in which architectural elements are particularly pronounced. Rather than presenting the city as a whole, Boueilh selects and isolates fragments, observing them at close range. Subjects are often presented frontally, and architecture reads as a planar structure. Repeated elements such as windows, walls, and façades create rhythm within the composition, while the interplay of closed surfaces and open spaces constructs a sense of order. Details such as dark interiors or air-conditioning units remain, while figures and narrative elements are omitted. The subject is not defined by what it represents, but by how it is perceived through relationships of light, plane, and structure.
Planes are further articulated through the contrast of light and shadow. Under Naples’ strong direct light, bright and dark areas are clearly separated, and color holds as a unified mass. The compositions maintain strong contrast while sustaining an overall sense of brightness and stability. This results in images that are both reduced and dense. Boueilh’s practice of retaining certain elements with persistence while decisively omitting others reveals his way of seeing.
Boueilh does not describe the city nor unfold it through narrative. Instead, he selects the structures where his gaze lingers and renders them clearly through light. In this exhibition, the viewer does not simply encounter a place, but experiences the density of a way of seeing it. Within structures clarified by light, the landscape becomes perceptible. His work is a record of a gaze that lingers—one that reads structure through light.
Installation view
Artworks
Artist
Arno Boueilh
Born in Paris, France, Painter (b. 1977)
Arno Boueilh was born and raised in Paris in 1977. Influenced by his father, an architect, he developed an early sensitivity to drawing and architecture, later studying fine art in Paris before fully dedicating himself to painting. Raised between a French father and an Italian mother, he spent his childhood summers in the landscapes of Tuscany, and later settled in Naples, where he continues his practice.
Working primarily in oil, he translates the landscapes around him onto canvas, observing the lines and structures of architecture, as well as the relationships between light and color. He is currently active between Paris and Naples, and teaches art at the French School in Naples.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025
〈Alchemy〉, Arno Boueilh – Heami Lee, Bol Gallery, Singapore
〈Different Perspectives on Naples〉, with Ferrante Ferranti, Galerie Le Domaine Perdu, France
〈Silent Light〉, with Serge Marie, Galerie Aguas Calientes / La Barque, France
2024
〈Terre Mêlée III à Paris – 서울의 달과 나폴리의 태양〉, Arno Boueilh – Heami Lee, Poliform Silvera, Paris, France
〈Terre Mêlée II à Napoli – La luna di Seul & il sole di Napoli〉, Arno Boueilh – Heami Lee, Tile & Design Gallery, Naples, Italy
〈Sur les toits de Paris〉, with Daniel Levigoureux, Chrystel Anthéo Gallery, Périgord, France
2023
〈Terre Mêlée〉, Galerie HeA, Seoul, Korea
〈Vis-à-vis – Paintings & Sculptures〉, Chrystel Anthéo Gallery, Périgord, France
2022
〈État des lieux〉, Institut Français de Naples, Naples, Italy
Galerie Ad Solem, Paris, France
Galerie Art du Temps, Drôme Provençale, France
2021
〈Tonalités – Presentation of Olivier Blin’s poetry collection〉, Chrystel Anthéo Gallery, Périgord, France
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026
〈Euploia II – Agora estesa〉, Galleria del Convento, Naples, Italy
2025
〈Twenty Years〉, Galerie L’Art du Temps, Drôme Provençale, France
Affordable Art Fair, Bol Gallery, Singapore
2023
〈Euploia – Materia Viva〉, Sulmondo, Naples, Italy
〈Assoli – Il raccolto dei dialoghi interiori〉, Sulmondo, Naples, Italy
2022
Art Capital, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Taylor Foundation Winners Exhibition, Paris, France
Awards
2020
Eddy Rugale Michailov Prize, Taylor Foundation, Paris, France
2017–2018
Grand Prix de Peinture de Saint-Grégoire (Selected)
André & Berthe Noufflard Prize (Finalist), Paris, France
and other awards
Artist
Arno Boueilh
Born in Paris, France, Painter (b. 1977)
Arno Boueilh was born and raised in Paris in 1977. Influenced by his father, an architect, he developed an early sensitivity to drawing and architecture, later studying fine art in Paris before fully dedicating himself to painting. Raised between a French father and an Italian mother, he spent his childhood summers in the landscapes of Tuscany, and later settled in Naples, where he continues his practice.
Working primarily in oil, he translates the landscapes around him onto canvas, observing the lines and structures of architecture, as well as the relationships between light and color. He is currently active between Paris and Naples, and teaches art at the French School in Naples.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025
〈Alchemy〉, Arno Boueilh – Heami Lee, Bol Gallery, Singapore
〈Different Perspectives on Naples〉, with Ferrante Ferranti, Galerie Le Domaine Perdu, France
〈Silent Light〉, with Serge Marie, Galerie Aguas Calientes / La Barque, France
2024
〈Terre Mêlée III à Paris – 서울의 달과 나폴리의 태양〉, Arno Boueilh – Heami Lee, Poliform Silvera, Paris, France
〈Terre Mêlée II à Napoli – La luna di Seul & il sole di Napoli〉, Arno Boueilh – Heami Lee, Tile & Design Gallery, Naples, Italy
〈Sur les toits de Paris〉, with Daniel Levigoureux, Chrystel Anthéo Gallery, Périgord, France
2023
〈Terre Mêlée〉, Galerie HeA, Seoul, Korea
〈Vis-à-vis – Paintings & Sculptures〉, Chrystel Anthéo Gallery, Périgord, France
2022
〈État des lieux〉, Institut Français de Naples, Naples, Italy
Galerie Ad Solem, Paris, France
Galerie Art du Temps, Drôme Provençale, France
2021
〈Tonalités – Presentation of Olivier Blin’s poetry collection〉, Chrystel Anthéo Gallery, Périgord, France
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026
〈Euploia II – Agora estesa〉, Galleria del Convento, Naples, Italy
2025
〈Twenty Years〉, Galerie L’Art du Temps, Drôme Provençale, France
Affordable Art Fair, Bol Gallery, Singapore
2023
〈Euploia – Materia Viva〉, Sulmondo, Naples, Italy
〈Assoli – Il raccolto dei dialoghi interiori〉, Sulmondo, Naples, Italy
2022
Art Capital, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Taylor Foundation Winners Exhibition, Paris, France
Awards
2020
Eddy Rugale Michailov Prize, Taylor Foundation, Paris, France
2017–2018
Grand Prix de Peinture de Saint-Grégoire (Selected)
André & Berthe Noufflard Prize (Finalist), Paris, France
and other awards
