Where Color Meets Character

There are times when a room calls for restraint, and others when notes of color changes everything.

I have always been drawn to antiques for their surfaces. The softened edges of wood, worn paint, old leather, stone and metal that have acquired a character impossible to reproduce. But I am equally interested in what happens when those quieter materials are placed alongside something unexpected: color.

The 20th Century paintings of French artist Lucien Bénière are a wonderful example. This image illustrates how I imagine Lucien living with his art. Abstract and wonderfully expressive, their greens, blues, ochres and reds seem particularly at home among objects with age. Rather than competing with an antique, the color can make us look at it differently. A dark piece of furniture suddenly feels more sculptural. The warmth of old wood becomes more apparent. Even the imperfections and patina seem richer.

Antiques can be remarkably contemporary when given the chance. Sometimes all it takes is a little color.  I am illustrating this viewpoint with a curation of antiques and vintage art by Lucien Bénière at an exhibition with Sydney Harbour Paint Company and Shumacher Textiles at Tim Clarke Design in Santa Monica.  (Details below)

In the exhibition, rather than viewing color as simple decoration, we wanted to explore it as a lens a deliberate way of looking at historic pieces through a fresh, contemporary and colorful eye. For me, the most memorable spaces have always lived within this soft tension: the refined beside the worn, the historical set against the unexpected. 

Lucien explored the quiet power of color. Color completely transforms how we see history. When you set an antique against an unexpected palette, deep, atmospheric blues, rich fiery rusts, or mossy verdigris tones, something remarkable happens. You suddenly notice what was hidden in plain sight: the silhouette, the delicate carving, the remaining fragments of an ancient finish. What might have seemed quiet suddenly becomes sculptural, vibrant, and alive.

The artwork invites the viewer into an immersive visual experience shaped by ambient light, depth, and atmospheric tone. Standing on their own or displayed alongside fine antiques and handcrafted objects, these expressive canvases offer a striking dialogue between color, texture, and light, elevating any interior into a thoughtfully curated gallery space.

Lucien Bénière was a French artist (1922–2012) who worked in ink, oil painting, and later sculpture. His oil period is generally dated 1969–1978, and he was particularly interested in color. In 1979 he started to devote himself primarily to wood sculpture. 

Please join us at the opening reception of Where Color Meets Character, an exhibition in collaboration with Sydney Harbour Paints, Schumacher Textiles at Tim Clarke Design as we explore confluence of color and antiques in current design.