Jo Vargas

Jo Vargas (Joëlle Audoin-Rouzeau) is a French painter born on the 7th of June, 1957 in Paris. The pseudonym "Vargas" derives from the Ava Gardner character in "The Barefoot Contessa". Her twin sister, Frédérique, is the writer Fred Vargas.

She trained at the National School for Decorative Arts (Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs) and has created many theatre and opera sets.

Exhibitions

*"L’Affaire Dashiell Hammett", 2^ème Festival du Polar, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 1997
*"Einführung zur Ausstellung" « Des désordres et des hommes », Café und Galerie Bonngout, Bonn 1998
*"Un chemin aérien et poétique", Toiles sérigraphiées, 2000. Open-air exhibition from PLACE BLANCHE to PLACE DES ABBESSES, Lepic-Abbesses quarter of Paris.
*"Historial de la Grande guerre", Château de Péronne, Feb-May 2003. This consisted of eleven large suspended canvases (220 x 200 cm), facing fifteen smaller (70 x 70 cm) paintings. Catalogue (93 - Montreuil : Impr. Stipa), ISBN 2-9510272-9-X
*"Toiles récentes", Galerie Pablo Barletta, Saint Germain-des-Prés, June 2004
*"Regards d’artistes contemporains sur la guerre", Joint exhibition with Janos Sugar et Hamad Khalaf, at Abbaye de Stavelot, Belgium, Oct 2004 - Jan 2005. An exhibition to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of France and the offensive in the Ardennes.
*"La vie d'artiste: de la cigale à la fourmi", Histoire du mouvement social et syndical des artistes interprètes de 1890 à 1960", exhibition from the archives of the Artists Union, scientific director: Marie-Ange Rauch, graphic conception: Loïc Loëz Hamon, painting: Jo Vargas.

Other work

*"Vita nova", Dante Alighieri, Bilingual Edition (French-Italian) illustrated by Vargas, ISBN 2-908825-57-0