About Gianne
International painter Gianne de Genevraye paints public places and gardens in Europe and the United States. She is a Contemporary Nature Painter, exhibiting widely with work seen in collections in France, Italy, the UK, Sweden, and the US. Born in California, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of California Irvine, studying under contemporary masters Judy Chicago, Tony DeLap, Craig Kaufman and John Paul Jones. She was a studio assistant to Jennifer Bartlett in Paris and an Invited Artist at the American Academy of Rome.
Since 2011, Gianne has focused on establishing short-term residencies in public gardens that lead to on-site exhibitions. She has been invited to paint in gardens in Japan, France, Italy, the United Kingdon, and Southern California.
In 2011, she painted and exhibited on site in the Chateau Bachiviller where Mary Cassatt lived and worked in France, the first time the garden was opened to the public in decades. In 2012, Gianne was a resident painter in the Jardin des Mediterranees at the Domaine du Rayol in the south of France. Also in 2012, she painted a series at the historic vinyard Hospice du Clos Cristal that were exhibited at the Saumur Hospital.
In 2013, Gianne was the inaugural artist in residence at the Casa Romantica Cultural Center of San Clemente and mounted a sold-out exhibition at the Casa. In 2014-15, she began a two-part residency at the Hortense Miller Garden in Laguna Beach, which included art walks and lectures. In Spring 2014, she was invitied to be the artist in residence at the Hanbuy Botanic Gardens, the home of the Botanical Chair of the University of Genoa, Italy. In spring 2015, Gianne returned to the Hortense Miller Garden residency with a solo exhibition on site in Laguna Beach. She was invited to be the artist in residence at the famed La Mortella gardens on the island of Ischia near Naples, Italy in the fall of 2015.
Gianne was designated as the cultural Artist in Residence 2014 and 2015 for the city of Menton in southern France, painting in four municipal gardens. Gianne organized an exhibition sponsored by the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Associaiton, with on-location residency paintings at their sister cities (Menton, France; St Ives, UK; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; and, Laguna Beach) exhibited. The one-month solo exhibition was held at 7°Event Center in Laguna Beach in 2016.
Gianne’s first solo museum show was in 2016 in Bormes les Mimosas, France. Gianne was the artist in residence in the Garden of Ninfa, Italy in 2016. The paintings were exhibited in Sermoneta Italy in 2017. Gianne returned to La Mortella as an invited artist in fall 2017.
Gianne organized an exhibition and series of residencies for the Newport Beach Sister City Association at the Newport Beach Public Library in 2019. For the show, she completed residencies in: Antibes, France; Okazaki, Japan; Baja Cities, Mexico; and, Newport Beach. She completed the first artist residency at Parc du Bagatelle in Paris with paintings exhibited for the Chopin Society during their summer concert series. Gianne had a piece in the group show “Unusual Views” at the Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles 2019 and a piece in the 2021 California Art Club “Mars: An Artistic Mission” show. In May 2021, she served as a juror for the Festival des Jardins de la Cote d’Azur and had a solo show at the Magazzino Gallery in the palazzo Contarini-Polignac in Venice, Italy.
Solo Expositions & Residencies
2019: Newport Center Library, Newport Beach, California
2019: Parc du Bagatelle Orangerie, for the Chopin Society
2018: Solo Exposition at Eilenroc Villa, Cap d’Antibes
2017: Residency in Antibes at the Villa Fontaine
2017: Residency Okazaki, Japan
2017: Tresco Abbey Gardens, UK (residency and exposition)
2017: La Mortella Garden, Ischia, Italy (residency and exposition)
2017: ‘Laguna Beach Art of Conservation Sustainable Conference & Expo.’ Susie Q Laguna Beach Community Center
2016: ‘Gardens,’ Bormes les Mimosas, France, Solo Museum show
2016: ‘Sister Cites of Laguna Beach,’ 7°Event Center, Laguna Beach, CA
2015: St Ives, Cornwall UK (residency)
2015: La Mortella Garden, (residency and exposition), Ischia, Italy
2014/15: Artist in Residence for the City of Menton, France, exposition in the Serre de la Madone Garden
2014/15: ‘Painting Hortense’s Garden,’ Hortense Miller Gardens, Laguna Beach, CA (residency and exposition)
2014: ‘Garden of Grace,’ Hanbury Botanic Gardens, University of Genoa, Italy June 2014 (residency and exposition in Palazzo Hanbury)
2013: ‘In the Garden of the Casa,’ Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, San Clemente, CA (residency and exposition)
2013: ‘La Dive Bouteille,’ Château de Brezé, France
2012/13: ‘The Four Seasons of the Vine, Hospice de Saumur,’ Hospital of Saumur, France (residency at the Clos Cristal Vineyard)
2012/13: ‘In the Garden of Eden,’ Domaine du Rayol, France (residency and exposition)
2011: ‘Autour du Jardin de Mary Cassatt,’ Bachivillers, France (residency and exposition)
2010: ‘Contemporary Plein Air,’ Galerie 32, Ave Matignon, Paris, France
2005: Péristyle of the Grand Theatre, Saumur, France
2004: Espace Godeline, Angers, France
2000: Salon de Mecenat Laurier, Paris, France
Selected Group Expositions Since 2000
2019: Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles. “Unusual Views”
2018: CAP Selected pastel pieces, City Hall, Laguna Beach, CA
2016: ‘EVENTI 2016,’ sponsored by Center of Art and Culture of Sermoneta, Italy
2015: ‘Hespérides,’ Musée Art & Histoire, Bormes les Mimosas, France
2011: ‘Festival de Basse Navarre,’ St. Jean de Luz, France
2010: ‘Les Clefs des Champs’ Galerie Eraunsia, St. Jean de Luz, France
2007: ‘Salon des Beaux Arts,’ Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2007: ‘Artists de la Galerie,’ Galerie Jean-Luc Méchiche, Paris, France
2006: ‘Societé Nationale des Beaux Arts,’ Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2006: ‘Le Livre en Fete,’ Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
2006: ‘Emerging Contemporary Artists,’ Montrouge, France
2006: ‘Présence d’Art Contemporaine en Anjou,’ Angers, France
2006: Exposition Internationale de Pastels de Giverny, France
2006: Salon de Montrouge, France
2006: Sale at Christies Auctions, Paris, France
2005: National Museum of Literature, Bucarest, Hungary
2004: ‘LAB’04’ London Artists Book Fair, UK
2004: Villa Cook, Foundation Le Courbusier, Paris, France
2003: ‘Salon d’Automne,’ Paris, France
2002: ‘Burst,’ Slingshot Gallery, V. de Voldère, New York City, NY
2002: ‘Pages’ Book Fair, Paris, France
2002: Salle Gaveau, Paris, France
2001: Colas Foundation, Boulogne, France
2000: ‘Three New Artists,’ Brener La Hune Gallery, Paris, France
2000: Frankfurt Fair, Germany
2000: ‘Salon Lineart,’ Gand, Belgium
Press/Review
2018: ARTE television France/Germany. ‘Les Jardins d’Ici et Ailleurs’ with Jean-Philippe Teyssieur (filmed 2017; will air 2018)
2017: Italian television: Rai I; ‘Sereno Variabile’ Ischia, June, 2017
2017: Radio interview KX93.5 Laguna Beach, CA
2016: Laguna Sister Cities Association, CA
2014: Anna Fill Interviews, Hanbury Garden, Italy
2014: Laguna Beach Sun Post, March 13, 2014
2013: Radio interview, KX95.5 (5/01/13, Tyler Russell) USA
2013: ‘The Medium and the Message,’ San Clemente Journal, CA
2013: Rustica Magazine ‘Bienvenue aux Artistes,’ Olivier Milhoumme
2012: Courrier de l’Ouest ‘Quatre Saisons de la Vigne Illuminent le hall du Centre Hospitalier’
2012: Var Matin ‘Gianne de Genevraye pose son chevalet au Domain,’ Christian Mourgues
2012: Var Matin ‘Peintures in situ au Domain du Rayol,’ Christian Mourgues
2011: ‘Gianne Harper: Hommage à Mary Cassatt,’ Valerie Lejeune, Figaro Magazine
2011: Marie Claire Magazine on line
2011: Le Spot.net, Culture Events
2011: ‘Hommage à Mary Cassatt,’ Daniel Bonnamour, Courrier Picard
2005: ‘The Days and Nights of Gianne Harper,’ Bertrand Gilet, La Nouvelle Republique, Saumur
2004: ‘The Imaginary Landscapes of Gianne Harper,’ Courrier d’Ouest, Culture, Angers
2002: Slingshot Gallery Show, Figaro New York
2002: ‘Seizing the Light: The Paintings of Gianne Harper,’ Patricia Levin, Los Angeles
Lectures, Workshops and Conferences
2019: Newport Center Library, presentation for cable TV
2019: Annenberg Foundation, Rancho Mirage, California; workshop
2018:Annenberg Foundation, Rancho Mirage, California; workshop
2017:The Art of Conservation Sustainability Conference, Laguna Beach, CA
2017: Workshop Hortense Miller Garden, Laguna Beach CA
2017: Workshop Annenberg Foundation, Rancho Mirage, California
2016: Workshop Annenberg Foundation, Rancho Mirage, California
2016: Workshop, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, invited artist
2015: Evening Salon with Gianne de Genevraye, Susie Q Community Center, Laguna Beach, CA
2014: Conference ‘Negative Space’, Association Cimiez, Nice, France
2013: Conference; ‘Artist Process at the Casa,’ Casa Romantica Cultural Center, San Clemente, CA
2012: Conference ‘Artist in Residence’ Domaine du Rayol, France
Awards
2001: Colas Foundation Purchase Prize, France
Collections
2019: Sister Cities of Newport Beach, CA
2018: Parc du Bagatelle, Paris, France
2017: William Walton Foundation, Ischia, CA
2017: Susie Q Community Center, Laguna Beach, CA
2017: Abbey Tresco Gardens, Isles of Scilly, UK
2016: Sister Cities of Laguna Association, CA
2016: 7° Event Center, Laguna Beach, CA
2015: William Walton Foundation, Ischia, Italy
2015: University of Genoa, Italy: Hanbury Gardens
2014: Hortense Miller Garden, Laguna Beach, CA
2013: Casa Romantic Cultural Center San Clemente, CA
2012: Domaine du Rayol, France
2012: Domaine Clos Cristal, Hospice de Saumur, France
2001: Colas Foundation, France