Pierre Toutain-Dorbec

Sculptor, Painter, Photographer, Writer

Early History

Pierre was born in Orbec, Normandy. He was raised in both Normandy and Paris, France. Family homes in each location provided a lifestyle in which they moved between the two as needed to accommodate his private education and his mother’s career. Beginning at thirteen his education was focused in the arts.

His Grandfather Gabriel and his Uncle Jean where both accomplished photographers and artists. His Father, Jacques, was a well known interior designer and is now a painter. His Mother, Françoise, was the first pianist and singer in the Paris Opera. His art education began with his family, who taught him the traditional techniques in drawing, painting, sculpting and photographing, and also included extensive dark room training. He photographed and drew his family and his native country, Normandy, very early. He knew and was influenced by the famous French figurative painter Pierre Laffillé, his grandparent’s neighbor.

At sixteen he studied in one of the most famous art schools in Paris, Atelier de la Grande-Chaumière. At the same time, he worked as an assistant with the world acclaimed Swiss/French photographer “Willie” Wilhem Maywald, who was living on rue de la Grande-Chaumière near the Atelier. By the end of 1968, encouraged by his uncle and grandfather (who died this same year), he left his hometowns of Orbec and Paris to discover the world. He became one of the very rare “world traveling artists”. Since this time, he has traveled around the world.

Brief Adult History

Throughout his adult life Pierre has photographed, written, and produced art as a career. This work was accomplished during his travels and as direct result of his experiences. To date, he has published over forty books. He has been the subject of many international exhibitions. His photographs, drawings, sculptures and paintings have been the subject of exhibitions in Asia, Europe and North Africa. Pierre also teaches. His numerous art or photography classes and workshops have been offered through museums, schools, colleges, and universities as well as privately in Europe. In Morocco, he taught at the Institute for Cinema and Photography. From 1968 to 1995 Pierre’s work was focused on Asia, North Africa and North America. From 1995 to 2004, he lived in France where he worked on personal projects, primarily sculpture and photography. From 2001 to 2003, he created, curated and was the Director for the International Museum for Photography, located in the ancient chateau de Belcastel for which he has been acclaimed in Europe. Pierre moved to the U.S. in 2005 and now lives and works in New Mexico.

Brief Education and Studies Outline

Pierre Toutain studied art with members of his family, photographer Wilhem Maywald, painter Pierre Laffillé and in the Atelier de la Grande-Chaumière (Paris). He obtained a Masters Degree in History of Indian Civilization at the University of Benares, India. Most noteworthy of his sculpture studies is when Pierre studied with famous Thailand sculptors during the restoration of Bangkok’s two most important Buddhist temples, Wat Po and Wat Phra Keo. In Asia, he received his Doctorate in Buddhist Philosophy at the University of Bangkok. He then spent a year living with the Dalai Lama and completed two books with him