These drawings are small spaces, playful little gardens. Working on Chinese cursive

notebook paper, I use its grids, borders and lines to create enclosed spaces that

evoke peacefulness and intimacy.

The works shown here are a selection from a series of 56 drawings. Taken together,

the series forms a succession of rooms, patios, cloisters and secret gardens, each

slightly different from the next. Some are ordered and architectural, while others

become denser and more overgrown through colour and repeated marks.

I think of them as small private places where one can pause and take refuge.

Each drawing measures 10.5 × 14.4 cm.

Annabelle d’Huart is a multidisciplinary French artist whose practice encompasses

drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, design and jewellery. Throughout her

career, she has explored themes of memory, transformation, nature and the

relationship between the intimate and the infinite. Her first major exhibition,

Atlantis (1990), explored themes of archaeology, erosion and the oceanic world, and

was followed by collaborations with Sèvres – Cité de la céramique. Her work has

since developed through numerous projects with major French institutions,

including Sèvres and the Mobilier national, where she created works spanning

ceramics, textiles and large-scale drawings. In 2013, she was appointed Chevalier of

the Order of Arts and Letters for her contribution to French cultural heritage. In

recent years, drawing has become central to her practice, with series including Sea

Princesses, Secret Gardens, Tabulae and thebluethewind, exploring rhythm,

repetition, colour and the fragile relationship between order and chance. Across

these diverse disciplines, her work is united by her fascination with the way forms

evolve, repeat and transform, creating a dialogue between precision and

imagination. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in major

collections, including the Guggenheim Museum, New York, and the Philadelphia

Museum of Art.