Theo Tobiasse

Theo Tobiasse (French, 1927–2012) was a painter, illustrator, and sculptor. Born in Jaffa in Mandatory Palestine (today, Israel) to Lithuanian parents, his family returned to Lithuania, and later relocated to Paris in 1931. Tobiasse lived in hiding during the Second World War to escape persecution by the Nazis. Following the liberation of Paris, he began his career as a graphic designer, and also created tapestries, stage sets, and window decorations for Hermes. 

In 1950, Theo Tobiasse obtained French citizenship and moved to Nice. In 1960, his work was first shown at the Palais de la Mediterranee, and was awarded first prize. He then received the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961, and devoted himself to painting full time a year later. Tobiasse spent the next several years exhibiting in cities such as Geneva, Montreal, Tokyo, London, Zurich, Los Angeles, and New York. He also experimented with the color and texture of oil paint, as well as with gouache. He developed a highly personal iconography, drawn from his memories as a child in Lithuania, and exploring themes of exile and the Holocaust. 

In the 1970s, a visit to Jerusalem inspired him to reconnect with his Jewish roots. He later created his first stained-glass work for the Jewish Community Center in Nice. In 1976, he moved his studio to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where he continued to explore lithography, pottery, sculpture, and engraving. During this time, his main subjects included cities he had lived or spent time in, biblical themes, and female figures. 

Theo Tobiasse continued to travel throughout the 1980s, and began splitting his time between New York and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. He also experimented with new techniques, including mixed media on paper, collage, acrylic, and oil pastels. 

At the time of his death, he received an homage from the minister of culture and the deputy mayor of Nice.
 

MUSEUM AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Biblioteque Nationale – Paris
Grand Palaise – Paris
Musee de L’athenee – Geneva
Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles
Petit-Palais, Geneva
 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
 

2013
“Tobiasse, Moments d’atelier”
Galerie Loumani – Valbonne, France
07/12/2013 – 09/30/2013

“Tobiasse intime/ultime”
Musée de la Citadelle – Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
04/11/2013 – 06/03/2013
 

2002
Galerie Klimantiris, Montréal QC, Canada
 

2001
Galerie Nobel, Oslo, Norway

2000
Rétrospective
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Menton, France
 

1994
Galerie Elysées, Matignon, France

1991
Vision Nouvelle “Hommage à Tobiasse”
Tokyo, Japan, Osaka, Japan, Nagoya, Japan, Kobe, Japan, Fukuoka, JAPON
 

1988
Nahan Galleries, New York NY, United States
 

1984
Upstairs Galleries, Los Angeles CA, United States

1977
Galerie de l’Athénée, Geneva GE, Switzerland

1962
Galerie Drouant, Paris, France