By Artsvi Bakhchinyan
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
YEREVAN/PARIS — French painter, sculptor and photographer of Armenian descent Karl Lagasse began his artistic journey with his collages when he was 7 years old. French sculptor César Baldaccini inspired Karl to continue developing his work. In 2003 Lagasse prepared his first exposition in Paris. His first solo show, presenting his “Building” sculptures, was in 2006 in Brussels. Two years later, at the Theatre Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris, Lagasse showed paintings and sculptures with added elements of videography and photography.
In Deauville in 2012, Lagasse offered the city his bronze “Cryptogram One” with a message of peace and love, which has been installed at the entrance of the city. In 2012, he created a monumental sculpture for the 65th Festival of Cannes in cooperation with Corbis. Since 2017, Lagasse has been the creator of the trophy for the American Film Festival in Deauville. Winners of the American Film Festival trophy include Johnny Depp, Sarah Jessica Parker, Morgan Freeman, Elle Fanning, Kate Beckinsale, Darren Aronofsky, Jason Clarke, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Michelle Rodriguez, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Pattinson, Sophie Turner and Woody Harrelson.
In 2009, Artprice named Karl Lagasse as one of the top 10 sculptors under 30 in the world. In 2012 the New York publishers Farameh selected Lagasse for their book, For Which It Stands: Americana in Contemporary Art, in which he is represented as one of the 50 best contemporary artists who found inspiration through traditional American icons.
During the 2016 Art Paris Art Fair, the President of the France personally congratulated Lagasse for the success of his 2-meter bronze “One Dollar” sculpture displayed at the Grand Palais.
