Travel Book: Las Vegas by Yann Kebbi

Born in 1987, Yann Kebbi spent his childhood in Paris. After graduating from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, drawing became second nature to him, and he constantly captured the essence of what he observed in spontaneous and rapid sketches. The fundamentals of Kebbi’s approach have emerged from this tireless practice, featuring skittish strokes, truncated lines, transparency effects, and layering of spaces and planes, mostly in the media of his choice - pencil.

Yann Kebbi’s first experience of Las Vegas dates back to 2012, when he went on a “graphic road trip” from San Francisco to New York. In April 2022, Kebbi revisited Las Vegas for a week. He endeavored to test his mettle in the face of the city. He was immediately drawn in by the throngs of people streaming down the Strip with no clear purpose. As extremes collide within the perpetual movement, Las Vegas acts “like a play presented in the round with the actors in the middle and the audience hovering around them,” says the artist. The production work began upon Kebbi’s return to his studio in Paris: his pencil scratched, furrowed, and sculpted the paper.

“Drawing is always the theme of my work. Here, Las Vegas offered the frame.” - Yann Kebbi

The Louis Vuitton Travel Book series sends renowned artists and promising young talents from around the world to destinations previously unknown to them.  Through whatever form of expression they choose, and whether exploring remote wildernesses or cities that never sleep, each artist confronts an unfamiliar place sharpened by the surprise of the unknown or stimulated by the pleasure of rediscovery.