A Tribute to Sam Szafran: Antoine Poupel at Galerie AB
In a feature published on 31 May 2025, Galerie AB revisited Antoine Poupel. Rencontre avec Sam Szafran, an exhibition presented during PhotoSaintGermain in 2023.
The photographs grew from Poupel’s friendship with his neighbour, Sam Szafran, who died in 2019. The two artists had often shared meals and conversations, and had discussed making Szafran’s portrait. That photograph was never taken.
Returning to the Studio
During a visit to Szafran’s widow, Lilette, Poupel felt compelled to photograph the artist’s studio. Its staircases, abundant vegetation, easels, and pastels offered a way to approach the presence of his absent friend.
With Lilette’s permission, Poupel returned to work there, applying Szafran’s own pastels to his photographs. The resulting images brought photography and drawing together through a gesture rooted in friendship and remembrance.
A Continuing Connection
These interventions gave the project a deeply personal dimension. Using materials that had belonged to Szafran, Poupel sought to continue their artistic connection and give his friend a vivid presence within his work.
The exhibition at Galerie AB invited visitors into this intimate world, where the studio became both a subject and a place of shared creation.
Antoine Poupel. Rencontre avec Sam SzafranGalerie AB, Paris
Exhibition held in 2023 · Gallery feature published 31 May 2025
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