Photo : Pierre et Gilles / Galerie Templon
Pierre et Gilles. Pink for you, pink for me
Pierre et Gilles celebrate 50 years of artistic collaboration with "Pink for you, pink for me," an exhibition of about twenty portraits created over the last two years. On this occasion, Pierre et Gilles: 50 years of creation is published, a major monograph tracing five decades of work, published by INSIGHT.
Galerie Templon Beaubourg (Paris 3rd)
About
Meeting in 1976, photographer Pierre Commoy and painter Gilles Blanchard are a couple in life as they are in art. They quickly invented a shared, unique artistic language: photography and painting fuse on the same canvas, creating symbolic and idealized portraits. This act of painting, which gives the images brilliance and saturated colors in the manner of the very first photographic retouching where color was applied by hand, makes each portrait a unique piece. Each work is born from a long staging process; sets, costumes, accessories, and lighting are designed and manufactured by hand in the artists' studio in the Paris region. The studio thus becomes a theater where the set carries the story of its subject—sometimes famous, often anonymous or close to the artists, but always elevated.
With "Pink for you, pink for me," Pierre et Gilles continue their exploration of the creation of contemporary icons. Sacred figures, stars, pop creatures, fictional characters, or people close to the artists meet in a universe where reality tips into the dream.
"Pierre et Gilles' goal is not to impose a narrow vision of things, but to question society based on the fantasies that circulate within it. Their work is based on reality, but it approaches it through the dream, which Freud said proceeds by condensation and displacement—photography, with them, becomes a psychic process [1]."
Stylists, DJs, actors, drag queens, models, and friends of the artists rub shoulders with figures from the iconography of the sacred, marine imagery, dreamscapes, and the baroque. The exhibition makes visible the full extent of their universe, from popular devotion to pop culture, where the public will be able to discover new works such as Lady Macbeth (Camille Cottin), 2026, Maria Magdalena (Lolly Wish), 2026, L’Étoile noire (Ebony Osaz), 2026, Saint Carlo Acutis (Martin Tournebize), 2026, or Vive moi – Hommage à Renaud (Renan Prevot), 2025.
The monograph published by INSIGHT brings together for the first time the works of Pierre et Gilles according to a thematic classification. Introduced by a text by Laura-Ève Lambert, each section is enriched by writings from personalities such as Edouard Louis, Sylvie Vartan, or Amanda Lear, as well as anecdotes from those who have passed before their lens.
Our take on this event
Step into a world where photography and painting blur, resulting in vivid, highly stylized portraits that redefine contemporary icons. This iconic artistic duo constructs handmade dreamscapes where real-life figures are elevated into mythological or pop-culture beings. It is an invitation to explore a spectacular, hyper-colored reality that feels like stepping directly into a surrealist stage set.
From November 7 to December 30, 2026, the Galerie Templon Beaubourg presents Rose pour toi, rose pour moi, an exhibition by the artistic duo Pierre and Gilles. Fusing photography and hand-painted details, they create unique, symbolic portraits born from elaborate studio sets. This free exhibition offers an immersive look into their dreamlike world of pop culture icons and sacred figures. Located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, the gallery welcomes visitors from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 19:00, to discover this singular approach to contemporary portraiture.
Since joining forces in 1976, photographer Pierre Commoy and painter Gilles Blanchard have pioneered a unique style where paint is applied directly to photographs. Every piece is the result of painstaking manual work, including the creation of intricate costumes, sets, and lighting within their studio. By blending reality with fantasy, they transform their subjects—whether celebrities, friends, or anonymous figures—into idealized, iconic beings.
The exhibition Rose pour toi, rose pour moi showcases the breadth of their creative universe. Visitors can view exclusive new works from 2025 and 2026, featuring figures like Camille Cottin as Lady Macbeth and Renan Prevot in a tribute to Renaud. The collection spans themes from sacred iconography to pop culture, baroque aesthetics, and maritime imagery, inviting viewers to explore how the artists interpret societal fantasies.
The exhibition is held at Galerie Templon Beaubourg, 30 rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris, and is free to attend. It is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, between 10:00 and 19:00. To complement the display, a new monograph published by INSIGHT provides a thematic overview of their career, featuring contributions from various cultural figures and subjects who have stood before their lens.
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