ARTIST STATEMENT
Leonardo Dawson explores stones and jewels as contemporary symbols of desire, permanence, and power. His paintings draw from the visual language of minerals and precious objects, translating their physical presence into layered surfaces where color, relief, and light interact like geological formations shaped over time.
Through pigment, texture, and polished finishes, Dawson works at the intersection of matter and perception. The jewel becomes a focal point: a condensed form of value, attention, and care. References to luxury emerge through material intensity rather than ornament, echoing both ancient ritual objects and contemporary systems of aspiration.
The works invite a slow, intimate viewing experience. Their depth and tactile qualities encourage contemplation, allowing the surface to unfold gradually. Light activates the paintings, revealing shifts between opacity and reflection, solidity and illusion.
Positioned within a contemporary context, Dawson’s practice reflects on how value is constructed and experienced today. His paintings transform the codes of luxury into a pictorial language rooted in craftsmanship, time, and material presence.
BIO
Leonardo Dawson is an Argentinian–Chilean visual artist based in France.
He trained in cinema and visual arts, developing a strong visual language through film, photography, and image construction.
Alongside his artistic practice, he has worked in luxury advertising as a video editor, post-producer, and production assistant.
His professional experience includes collaborations with Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Lancôme, and groups such as LVMH and L'Oréal.
This background informs his artistic work, which explores stones and mineral forms as symbols of value, permanence, and desire.
His practice reflects on contemporary luxury, craftsmanship, and visual culture.
