Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)

“It’s been my very good fortune to be surrounded by many of the finer things in life and I’m always gratified when it’s time to let them go so that others may enjoy them as well.”  — Jim Carrey

Famed for his singular brand of innovative comedy and his spectacular range as an actor Jim Carrey has, over several decades, taken an organic and intuitive approach to building his collection of art and design. Unlike many celebrities, Carrey—the New York Times-best selling author and star of films including Ace Ventura, The Mask, The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—did not begin collecting art through an advisor, but instead purchased what most compelled him. As a contemporary artist himself, Carrey’s eye has drawn him towards vibrant, graphic paintings and prints, to bold contemporary design from makers that include Mario Bellini, Maarten Baas, and Christian Astuguevieille, as well as photography and a few surprises (including a pair of Charles Rennie Mackintosh Hill House Chairs), ultimately comprising a collection as eccentric, electric, and inspired as Carrey himself.  

Born in 1883 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a suburb of Paris, Jules Leleu would become a renowned French Art Deco furniture and lighting designer. He achieved fame by skillfully blending modernism with classical elements in his designs. In particular, he was celebrated for his use of simplified shapes, exotic woods, marquetry, and ivory inlays. After studying decorative painting, Leleu took over his father's painting business with his brother, Marcel, at the age of twenty-six. Leleu served in the air force during World War I and later returned to open Maison Leleu, a gallery where he dedicated himself to furniture craftsmanship.

In 1925, Leleu gained significant recognition by winning the grand prize at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels. His reputation continued to grow and he undertook notable projects such as designing ocean liners like the S.S. Ile de France and S.S. Normandie, as well as creating furnishings for various French embassies worldwide and the Grand Salon of the Ambassadors at the Society of Nations in Geneva. Following his passing in Paris in 1961, Leleu's children André, Jean, and Paule assumed control of the family business.