David Aiu Servan-Schreiber

David Aiu Servan-Schreiber (born September 19th 1989) is a London-based French visual artist whose work focuses on the themes of environmentalism, sustainability and religious identity. Servan-Schreiber is represented by visual talent agency MTArt Agency.
Servan-Schreiber was born in Paris, France. He initially worked at Sotheby's|Sotheby’s in London, an experience he says taught him the essentials about art history. 
Whilst working at Sotheby’s Servan-Schreiber started producing his own work, and was subsequently approached by Marine Tanguy and MTArt Agency, a talent agency for visual artists. When Tanguy became Servan-Schreiber’s agent he left Sotheby’s to focus on his own practice full time.
Servan-Schreiber has said becoming an artist was a “natural event” rather than a choice as he had always found painting to be a catalyst for his ideas.
Servan-Schreiber’s work primarily focusses on sustainability, environmentalism, planet earth and religion. 
His most notable series to date is Planets, a series of textured circles placed on wooden canvases. The pieces are comprised of wood, paint, cement, and metal leaf, and most are completed using a blowtorch. Servan-Schreiber says the burnt effect from a blowtorch reflects the human destruction of the earth’s surface. 
Servan-Schreiber has discussed how religion has influenced the series, saying Planets offers a spiritual interpretation of planets. He has also said the use of gold leaf throughout the Planets series reflects the use of gold in Christian Orthodox icons, and that although he didn’t grow up with a religious background, Planets “is a way to share my interpretation of religion.” 
In 2019 Servan-Schreiber produced Raoni, a new series focussing on deforestation that used natural metals and cement. Servan-Schreiber’s other series have included Microcosm and Time, which also combine themes of environmental impact, nature and religion.
2019 also saw Servan-Schreiber collaborate on La Ruche, a giant interactive installation modelled on a beehive that was donated to the GoodPlanet Foundation. Housed at Château de Longchamp, the 14-metre permanent instillation is comprised of 60,000 recycled resin cells.
In 2020 Servan-Schreiber’s piece “It’s Later Than You Think” formed part of MTArt Agency’s trail of public art programme, which featured thirteen artworks across central London. His piece was installed at St James's|St James’s Market.
Servan-Schreiber has been a vocal proponent of social media helping artists’ careers and has said that Instagram is one of his primary means of promoting and selling his work, claiming promotion on Instagram helped him sell fourteen pieces in one month. In 2017 he was listed as one of art blogger Sophie Weinstein’s ‘Artists You Need to Follow on Instagram’. 
In 2020 Servan-Schreiber said he had further increased his engagement on Instagram and was also undertake more virtual studio tours, talks and exhibitions.
Servan-Schreiber has exhibited at Pomellato jewellery stores worldwide, Sotheby’s Summer exhibition, UNFOLD 2017 and the Royal Academy of Arts, and had shows at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in Singapore and Hong Kong, Rosewood London and at the Zari Gallery in London. 
In 2019 Servan-Schreiber partnered with Spanish ethical fashion brand MAM, becoming a watch ambassador as part of their ‘I AM’ series launched in collaboration with Marine Tanguy.
Later that year Servan-Schreiber partnered with Champagne house Ruinart (Champagne)|Ruinart. The collaboration saw Servan-Schreiber produce a piece, entitled ‘Glass House’ to help encourage the recycling of champagne corks at Frieze Art Fair London (2019) and Los Angeles (2020). 
In 2019 Servan-Schreiber also delivered a talk at the Museum of London, entitled 'How can artworks inspire you to become more sustainable?'.
He has also collaborated with French-Argentinian fashion brand LAÏTA.
Servan-Schreiber lives in London, where he maintains two studios. He maintains other studios in Paris.
He has listed his favourite museum as the Bernar Venet Venet Foundation in Le Muy, France. He has also said Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and his works have served as a major inspiration to him.
Category:Artists
Category:French artists
Category:1989 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Paris