‘Left Behind’ brings together new works by Julien Saudubray (*1985, FR) developed during a summer residency on the island of Naxos. Anchored in a series of intuitive drawings made in the solitude of a monastery, the exhibition explores themes of memory, impermanence, and renewal. Referencing the unfinished Kouros sculptures scattered across the island, Saudubray embraces the idea of incompletion as a vital force in painting. From small, spontaneous studies to larger canvases inspired by Cycladic vessels, the works move between figuration and abstraction, presence and absence. Informed by Philip Guston’s belief that the painter must ultimately disappear for the painting to emerge, Left Behind reflects a process of letting go, of habits, expectations, and even the self, to allow something new to take shape.

Julien Saudubray graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris in 2012 and has since exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions across Belgium, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Luxembourg, Brazil, and the United States. He has participated in several prestigious residency programs, including the CAB Foundation and the Boghossian Foundation in Brussels. His work is present in the collection of Musée d’Ixelles in Brussels and Fondation CAB, Brussels & Saint Paul de Vence. Most recently his work was featured in the landmark exhibition ‘Painting after Painting – A Contemporary Survey from Belgium’ at S.M.A.K. in Ghent, showcasing work by 74 contemporary Belgian artists.