This is the tale of a man whose talent lay dormant for (almost) his entire life. The father of Laurent Boix-Vives, this Catalan shepherd basked in generous, wild nature from his early childhood. This scenery marked by vibrant colours would become an endless source of inspiration for this artist in the making. After a life far removed from paint brushes, Anselme Boix-Vives chose to devote himself entirely to painting on the eve of his retirement in 1962. Art became his reason for living, a real rebirth, at the age of 63. In just seven years, he accomplished the unthinkable: more than 2,400 artworks saw the light of day.

Both utopian and deeply humane, this self-taught genius in ‘‘art brut’’ expresses life’s beauty in all its forms. Whether abstract or narrative, his canvases are inhabited by human beings and creatures straight from his imagination. They form a world in which reality and marvels melt together, like an echo of his childhood tales and the mountains. From New York to Stockholm, via Savoy – his adopted home –, his canvases are still displayed in renowned art-galleries and museums, as well as prestigious addresses such as Le Strato. For over 30 years, the Parisian Alain Margaron gallery has preserved and transmitted his artistic heritage, a reminder that the art of Anselme Boix-Vives transcends frontiers and speaks a universal language: that of authenticity and hope.