Amazed by Aboriginal art during a stay in Australia, Stéphane Jacob-Langevin founded one of the first art galleries specialising in Aboriginal and Western Australian art in Paris in 1996: Arts d’Australie – Stéphane Jacob. By setting up his gallery in a flat, Stéphane Jacob is considered a pioneer. In an intimate setting, he introduces art lovers to Aboriginal art by organising presentation evenings, thereby forging special relationships with his collectors. In 2022, Arts d’Australie – Stéphane Jacob decided to consolidate its exhibition programme by setting up in the Marais district.
Stéphane Jacob-Langevin contributes to the recognition of Aboriginal culture. As a recognised European expert in the field with decades of experience in the art market, Stéphane Jacob-Langevin works with various museums in Europe to develop their collections of Aboriginal art with hundreds of pieces, including the Musée des Confluences in Lyon, Les Abattoirs in Toulouse, the Musée d’Ethnographie de Genève in Switzerland and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.
Arts of Australia – Stéphane Jacob is deeply involved in defending the environment, a battle that is close to the hearts of Torres Strait Islander artists. In 2016, Stéphane Jacob-Langevin was appointed curator of a permanent exhibition entitled ‘Australia: Defending the Oceans at the Heart of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art’ at the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco; thanks to its success, thirteen other institutions invited the exhibition, including the UN headquarters in New York.
Stéphane Jacob-Langevin is the author of the reference work on Aboriginal arts published by Scala. He also publishes artists’ monographs. For his services to Aboriginal arts and to Australia, Stéphane Jacob-Langevin was made an honorary member of the Order of Australia in 2018 – a distinction usually awarded to Australian citizens. He is a member of La Chambre des Experts Spécialisés en Objets d’Art et de Collection (C.N.E.S) and a member of the Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art.
