Manuel Lefèvre’s work explores the links between mineral matter, memory, landscapes and history. Working with stone, water and natural phenomena, he develops a practice at the intersection of painting, sculpture and installation, revealing the movement, transformation and traces held within materials over time.
This approach is central to Pierre de Caen & Eau, an artistic research programme exploring the journeys of Caen stone and the Norman heritage it continues to connect across territories. First presented during the Millenium of the City of Caen in 2025, the project will continue in 2027 with exhibitions in Caen and Enniscorthy, Ireland.
His work is shown in contemporary art fairs, institutions and exhibitions in France and internationally.
Manuel Lefèvre’s work explores the links between mineral matter, memory, landscape and history. Working with stone, water — both a geological force and a means of circulation — and other natural phenomena, he approaches materials as records of deep time, shaped by natural processes as well as human activity.
Moving between painting, sculpture and installation, his practice brings forward the hidden layers of place. It highlights what materials retain: movement, transformation, and the traces left by both people and natural forces. Matter becomes a point of convergence between geology, heritage and contemporary art.
This approach is central to Pierre de Caen & Eau. Starting from Caen stone, the project retraces the journeys of this material since the 11th century and the Norman heritage it continues to connect across territories. First presented during the Millenium of the City of Caen in 2025, the research will continue in 2027 with two exhibitions, in Caen and then in Enniscorthy, Ireland, before extending to other regions marked by the presence of Caen stone.
Manuel Lefèvre’s work is shown in contemporary art fairs, institutions and exhibitions in France and internationally, and is included in several European private collections. His practice is now developing in close collaboration with historians, researchers, curators and institutional partners, particularly through Pierre de Caen & Eau, where contemporary art, heritage and the memory of places intersect.