The famous auction house ARTCURIAL has generously invited the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation to present several lots for its next aeronautical auction, which will be held in Paris on 19 January 2014, to raise funds to support the Foundation’s charitable activities.

In this perspective, the company Dassault Aviation has offered 1:48 scale resin models of its Rafale airplane to our Foundation, which have been personalised by two internationally-renowned artists: Manolo Chrétien and Kongo aka Cyril Phan.

Aeronautical photographer Manolo Chrétien is the son of astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien, the first Frenchman and the first Western European person to have gone to space in 1982. Fascinated by legendary plane fuselages, Manolo presents a dreamlike and artistic vision of the aviation world through his unique creations that transcend forms, matter and light.

By working directly on this model of the Rafale plane, Manolo creates a unique piece of art, which transmits all the power of this exceptional flying machine.

Street artist Kongo aka Cyril Phan is a well-known and recognised graffiti artist on the international stage. Armed with pencils, pens and cans of spray paint, he mixes colours, letters and forms in a unique way. After having painted the walls of the world’s megalopolises and presented his art in its galleries,  Kongo’s graffiti today finds expression on the furtive lines of the famous Rafale airplane, which will go on sale at the upcoming ARTCURIAL auction.

For more information : http://www.artcurial.com

Photos: 01- Manolo Chrétien / 02- Kongo aka Cyril Phan