artist/ Cosmo

France

Cosmos—born Stéphane Pillon—began his graffiti career in 1987 within the Paris Métro. He views art in general as a universal medium for conveying messages and emotions—hence his chosen tag, “Cosmos,” which means “universe” in Greek.

In his work, Cosmos draws upon his background as a street artist, employing a multi-stage process: one phase is vertical, involving signs and graphic elements, while the other is horizontal, rooted in the tradition of “dripping” or “action painting” from the 1950s. The concept of “action painting” originates with Harold Rosenberg, who wrote in 1952: “At a certain moment, American painters”—including Jackson Pollock—”began to regard the canvas as an arena in which to act—rather than as a space in which to reproduce, re-create, analyze, or ‘express’ an object, actual or imagined. What was to go on the canvas was not a picture but an event.”

By shifting between these two working positions—vertical and horizontal—Cosmos offers us both: a sense of movement in action and an imaginary world.

Consequently, encountering these works can evoke a dual emotional response. At first, there is the striking impact of the colors—vibrant and invigorating—with signs that seem to dance across the canvas, imbuing the viewer with a positive, abundant energy, fresh with life. Yet, one might also feel a sense of suffocation from this density—a composition filled to the very edges of the frame, leaving no empty space. It would then be the expression of an overflow—of signs, information, and actions—to the point of bursting, ready to explode.

– Florence Ormezzano, cultural mediator

Cosmos exhibits in various galleries in Paris and abroad.

In 2019, Cosmos traveled to Morocco, drawing inspiration from its colors and landscapes to bring greater variety to the appearance of his works.