Pierre Fraiture

Pierre Fraiture (b. 1977) Of French and Russian descent, Pierre grew up in New York City, where his mother had strong ties to the art world. From age four, he was enrolled in children’s workshops at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to which he still affectionately refers as “my favorite therapist.”

One of his fondest memories is of his mother taking him at age eight to an event honoring Jean-Michel Basquiat in a Soho loft. The artist and his vibrant works, along with the eclectic/electric party scene, made a lasting impression on Pierre, who still feels a particularly strong connection to New York’s eighties culture.

Pierre attended the French Lycée of New York, which was to prove significant to his life and art in different ways. The school’s international student body, in which many races and creeds were represented, fueled Pierre’s inherent open- mindedness and curiosity about the world.

As for the Lycée’s emphasis on strictness and conformity, it encouraged him to seek refuge in his art as a space where he could be candid and at times subversive (one of his drawings ultimately led to his expulsion from the school).

The Lycée also provided a meeting ground for his younger brother, Nikolai, and Julian Casablancas, who...