artist/ Desserprit

France

Roger Desserprit was born on 9 March 1923 in Buxy. In 1939, he began studying painting and drawing under M. Schomberg and then M. Darbois in Chalon-sur-Saône. Between 1941 and 1943, he attended the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris.
During his years as an apprentice, Roger Desserprit felt more attracted to the artistic movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Around 1948, he abandoned painting for sculpture, although he did sculpt bas-reliefs that he coloured as if they were paintings. He met leading figures in abstract art such as Michel Seuphor, Marcelle Cahn, Auguste Herbin, Jean Arp and Félix Del Marle.
His career was marked by his membership of the MADI movement. After working in wood, from 1951 he began using iron, copper, bronze and other metals (often in combination).
That same year, he took part in a MADI exhibition at the Colette Allendy gallery in Paris.
In 1957, he won 1st prize at the Bordeaux Biennial, followed by an honorary award shared with Étienne Béothy at the Milan Triennial in 1958.
Roger Desserprit died on 4 November 1985 in Paris. In 1989, a retrospective exhibition of his work was held in Paris at the Franka Berndt gallery.