FONDATEURS
HELENE YUBERO
Hélène Yubero began her career as both a photographer and gallerist. Her photographic work, which has spanned the worlds of antiques, classical and contemporary painting, jewellery, fashion and portraiture, honed her eclectic eye. While her first gallery, launched in the 1990s to promote the work of young Swiss and French artists, exposed her to a breadth of talent. These experiences, combined with Yubero’s long-standing collaboration with one of the most eminent ancient arts dealers, have shaped her unique vision, perspective, and insight into the connections between art history and the meanings underlying the works of contemporary artists.
As an art consultant, Yubero advises a roster of international clients who wish to acquire or sell contemporary or classical works. The selection of artists she proposes with Francois Russo reflects her decades-long journey in the art world. It elucidates the link between classical art and contemporary creations, and the geo-political transversality that defines today’s global culture. Keeping the focus firmly on talent and diversity, RUSSO YUBERO has established dialogues between European, American and Asian creators that manifest the evolution of art creation in the 21st century.
FRANCOIS RUSSO
Francois Russo’s prolific career has seen him closely collaborating with many of the most renowned names in art and design. After graduating from Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC), France’s most prestigious business school, Russo started out at Cartier where he was assistant to the General Manager and played a key role in creating its Institut Supérieur du Marketing de Luxe (Advanced Institute of Luxury Marketing) in 1989. After a brief stint at L'Oréal, Russo was appointed International Director of the French Mint, (La Monnaie de Paris) at the age of 25. This marked the start of his numerous collaborations with contemporary artists and designers over the years, including Jean-Loup Sieff, Andrée Putman, Jean Larivière, César, Garouste & Bonetti and Valerio Adami. In 1995, Russo joined Havas Advertising, overseeing the creative management of projects with leading luxury brands before establishing his own art direction and design agency.
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One of Russo’s most productive partnerships has been with design legend and long-time friend Andrée Putman. As Co-President and Creative director of Putman’s studio, their first project together was the Guerlain flagship on Paris’ Avenue Champs Elysées which opened to critical acclaim in 2003. Following this success, they collaborated on hotels, boutiques, private residences, estates and even corporate headquarters, where Russo introduced the work of contemporary artists into the spaces while working with Putman on furniture, houseware and special creations for brands such as Christofle, Louis Vuitton, Chivas, Montblanc, and even a piano for Pleyel.
In 2008, Russo designed the internationally acclaimed Helleu Chair for esteemed Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau as an homage to Jacques Helleu. It is the very first chair to be entirely made with a seamless structure in Corian. That same year, Russo launched the luxury leather boutique brand Maison Takuya in Thailand, while continuing to pursue his passion as an art collector and patron.
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RUSSO YUBERO was the natural next step in his quest to champion undiscovered talents originating from Asia. Russo’s expert eye is evident from his personal collection comprising over 500 artworks by Western and Asian artists, including Louise Bourgeois, Antoni Tapies, Ellsworth Kelly, Takuro Kuwata, Kaws, Bram Van Velde, Lucio Fontana, Roman Opalka, Jean-Pierre Pincemin and Takashi Murakami. He is currently working on the opening of his own museum dedicated to Contemporary Art in Thailand, where he resides when not in Switzerland.
