Colour and Gesture: a student art exhibition in Paris

Paris is famous for its great museums and art galleries. Sometimes the most interesting art experience is not found in the Louvre but in a local town hall.  

 

From 29 May to 17 June 2026, the Town Hall of Paris's 6th arrondissement hosts La Couleur et le Geste (Colour and Gesture), an exhibition presented by the Sport and Leisure Association of the 6th District. The works are not created by professional artists but by students of the Sport and Leisure Association who have spent the year exploring drawing and painting under the guidance of their teachers.

 

In the small, free exhibition, there is a diversity of artistic approaches, such as a portrait of a woman with oversized spectacles as well as other portraits, landscapes, and still life.

 

The exhibition's title, Colour and Gesture, is well chosen. Colour is what we see. Gesture is how we respond.

 

Professional artists develop their own personal styles that become their signature work. Students, by contrast, are still discovering what they see and how they wish to express it and are still experimenting with their style. 

 

Students demonstrate that creativity is not only for professional artists. The exhibition may not contain future Picassos. Then again, it might. But that is not really the point. The point of the exhibition, and its achievement, is that students were observing their world more carefully and transforming those observations into colour, form, and gesture.

 

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MARTINA NICOLLS

MARTINA NICOLLS is an Australian author and international human rights-based consultant in foreign aid evaluations and audits, education, psychosocial support, resilience, peace and stabilization, and communication, including script writing. She lives in Paris. Her latest books are: If Paris Were My Lover (2025), Tranquility Mapping (2025), Moon, Mood, and Mind Mapping Tracker (2025), and Innovations within Constraints Handbook (2025). She is the author  of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce  (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009). 

 

Review, Amazon, 17 April 2025, Mindy, USA - 5 stars

Martina Nicolls’ novel is more than just a story—it’s a love letter to Paris, to longing, and to the quiet, aching corners of the human heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book. The writing is rich with metaphor, lush with emotion, and the city itself becomes a living, breathing character—mysterious, romantic, and unforgettable. The narrative flows like a piece of music—gentle in some places, intense in others, always carrying you forward. Whether it’s a chance encounter in a tucked-away café or a heartbreak under a rain-drenched bridge, Nicolls captures the weight of those small, intimate moments that define us. I especially appreciated how the novel explored self-discovery. The protagonist’s journey felt deeply relatable—sometimes painful, sometimes euphoric, always honest. It reminded me how often we try to find ourselves in other people, in unfamiliar places, and in the memories we can’t quite let go of. If you enjoy lyrical writing, emotional depth, and a story that lingers in your soul long after the final page, this is for you. It's a slow, reflective read—meant to be savored like a glass of red wine by the Seine.

Review, Amazon, 30 October 2025, Jim, USA - 5 stars

As a leadership coach, I love how this book reframes constraint as a spark, not a setback. It’s packed with global examples and practical frameworks that show how real innovation happens when resources are tight and stakes are high. The five-step model for constraint-based creativity is simple, actionable, and grounded in reality — exactly what most teams need. It’s a thoughtful reminder that great leadership and great innovation both start with the same mindset: do more with what you have, and keep moving forward.