“Gypsy Europa is my dream… My maps are subversive imaginary conquest, a Roma resistance against racism and right wing propaganda.” Damian Le Bas
Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix is pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by Damian Le Bas. This marks the late activist-artist’s second solo show at the gallery, with a significant focus on his cartographic works―an expansive collection of painted maps and globes.
Le Bas transformed found maps and globes―ranging from early 20th-century artefacts to contemporary pieces―into canvases for his art. Many depict regions he visited and worked in, including various European countries and beyond, many of which are locations where he was invited for artist residencies. His work also features places within the British Isles―its cities, communities, and landscapes.
Le Bas’s approach to cartography was conceptually ingenious. His maps became visual metaphors for his ideals: a pursuit of justice, equality, and identity. Traditionally symbols of geopolitical authority, these maps were reimagined by Le Bas with a deep sense of equity and an unrelenting, passionate drive. By painting over them, he dismantled the dominant worldview and offered new, subversive perspectives.
As a fervent advocate for the Roma and Traveller communities―and for marginalised groups more broadly― Le Bas challenged the fixed, static representations found in official cartography. The ever-present arrows he added in multiple directions symbolise the constant movement and migration of these communities. In contrast, his handwritten texts often convey collective frustrations. On a map of East Anglia titled Remember Dale Farm, he writes: “I'm not a tourist, I live here. Outsider of Life.”
Despite the gravity of the issues he addressed, Le Bas’s work always carried an element of humour. His pop-style drawings - often symbolic representation of Travellers or rather, his own alter-ego, and their culture, combined with a vivid, expressive colour palette brought a sense of playfulness to his works. A master colourist, whether using felt markers or acrylics, he created a fantastical, imagined universe rich in emotion and meaning. His ability to balance heavy themes with wit and playfulness became a hallmark of his style.
It could be said that cartography offered Le Bas the perfect medium to convey the complexity of his ideas―and, perhaps, to express the many facets of his own identity.
The exhibition will be open throughout the weekend of 6/7/8 for the London Gallery Weekend. Opening Hours during the London Gallery Weekend: Friday 6 June 21am - 6pm, Saturday 7 June 11am - 6pm, Sunday 8 June 12 noon - 5pm. On Sunday 8th, we are holding guided tours of the exhibition by Delaine Le Bas, Le Bas's widow and fellow artist who closely collaborated with Le Bas for a number of projects.
Damian Le Bas (b. 1963, Sheffield : d. 2017, Worthing) established a diverse practice across textile, collage, painting and performance, consistently resisting stereotype and categorisation. After completing an MA at The Royal College of Art, London, he exhibited at venues including Galerie Kai Dikhas, Berlin (2016), Kunstahalle Kallio, Helsinki (2012), the Venice Biennale (2007), the Prague Biennale (2007), RomaMoMA at documenta 15, Eurasia at Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerp (2022) Kasse, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn (2023), Mucem Musée des civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée, Marseille (2023), Towner Eastbourne (2025). Le Bas worked closely with Maxim Gorki Theater, Berlin on numerous projects including artwork for a musical 'Roma Armee'. He collaborated with Delaine Le Bas to create 'Safe European Home?', a series of installations exhibited across Europe since 2011 that explore identity, migration and borders. Challenging stereotypes and marginalisation, he initiated the Roma Biennale dedicated to art of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and other communities which came to fruition posthumously in Berlin in 2018. In 2023 he was a subject of an exhibition 'House of Le Bas' at Whitechapel Gallery, London, on life and experience of the artist and his partner Delaine Le Bas.
