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The Nabi Spirit – A Bold Chapter of Modern Art Returns // at Art Paris

The Nabi Spirit – A Bold Chapter of Modern Art Returns // at Art Paris March 11, 2026Art Events, ParisOff

The Nabis – Where Modern Art Began to Breathe

This season in Paris, the London gallery Waddington Custot revisits one of the most daring artistic movements of the late nineteenth century with Le Choc Nabi. Presented during Art Paris, the exhibition explores the bold vision of the Nabis, a group of young painters who profoundly reshaped the language of modern art.

Emerging in the 1890s, the Nabis – whose name derives from the Hebrew word for “prophet” – saw themselves as pioneers of a new artistic era. Rather than simply depicting reality, they believed painting should express emotion, symbolism, and atmosphere. Artists such as Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard began experimenting with flattened perspectives, vibrant colors, and decorative patterns that transformed everyday scenes into immersive visual worlds.

Fabienne Verdier (b. 1962), PNEUMA II, 2016.
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas, horizontal polyptych.
255 × 363 cm

Kenia Almaraz Murillo (b. 1994), La Hormiga, 2024.
Woven threads, Bolivian carnival costume embroidery, scooter headlights and LED lighting on stainless steel frame.
124 × 124 × 18 cm.
Courtesy of the artist and Waddington Custot

Inspired by Japanese prints and the decorative arts, the Nabis rejected traditional academic painting. Domestic interiors, gardens, and quiet moments of daily life became their preferred subjects, yet these scenes were rendered with an intensity of color and composition that felt strikingly modern.

More than a historical movement, the Nabi spirit still resonates today. Their work blurred the boundaries between fine art and design, anticipating a visual culture where painting, architecture, and decoration naturally intersect.

Walking through the exhibition reveals how revolutionary these artists truly were. Their paintings do not simply depict spaces – they create atmospheres. Figures dissolve into patterned walls, colors vibrate across the canvas, and interiors become emotional landscapes.

Over a century later, the work of the Nabis remains surprisingly contemporary. Le Choc Nabi reminds us that the most powerful artistic movements are those that continue to change how we see the world.

Waddington Custot at Art Paris 2026
9 – 12 April 2026
Grand Palais, Paris – Stand F9

The presentation coincides with the opening of the gallery’s new Paris space at 36 rue de Seine, Paris 6th arrondissement, inaugurated on April 9, 2026.

More information:
Waddington Custot Official Website

Tags: Art Collectors, Art Paris, contemporary art fairs, decorative painting movement, Edouard Vuillard, Japanese influence in European art, modern art Paris, Nabis movement, Paris Art Exhibition, Paris art scene, Pierre Bonnard, post impressionism, Waddington Custot, What We Adore Magazine