Klein Blue: A Color, An Artistic Revolution
- Delphine & Romain Class
- Mar 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 1
Klein Blue, also known as International Klein Blue (IKB), is far more than just a color. Created in 1960 by the French artist Yves Klein, this deep blue embodies a revolution in the art world and continues to inspire contemporary pop and street artists such as Kaws, Orlinski, Maniez, and others.
A Bold Invention
Yves Klein, a key figure of the Nouveau Réalisme movement, aimed to capture immateriality through color. Unsatisfied with the blues available on the market, he collaborated with Parisian paint dealer Edouard Adam, well-known among artists of the time for his wide range of pigments. Mixed with a synthetic binder called Rhodopas M60A, the pigment preserved the intensity and matte finish of the blue, giving birth to International Klein Blue.
In 1960, after two years of development, Klein registered the formula of his blue at the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) under the name Klein IKB, marking a milestone in contemporary art history.
The Expression of Infinity
For Klein, blue symbolized the sky, the sea, and infinity. He once said: “Blue has no dimensions, it is beyond dimensions, while the other colors do have them.” His monochrome works, often simply titled IKB, invite contemplation and meditation. Viewers get lost in the vastness of the blue, as if drawn into a boundless universe.
One of his most famous works, Anthropometries, featured female models covered in Klein blue paint becoming living brushes, imprinting their forms on canvas.
A Lasting Influence
Klein Blue quickly extended beyond painting. It found its way into design, fashion, and even architecture. Designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Christian Dior, and Issey Miyake incorporated this intense blue into their collections, underlining its emotional power and timeless modernity.
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In architecture, Klein Blue colors façades, interiors, and artistic installations, adding a bold and serene touch. Furniture and decorative objects are no exception—the blue becoming synonymous with chic minimalism.
Why Does This Blue Still Fascinate?
Klein Blue evokes both depth and lightness, the tangible and the immaterial. Its unique hue captures light in a singular way, creating fascinating plays of shadow and reflection. It offers a sensory experience that goes beyond mere visual perception.
Moreover, the story behind this color—its link to Yves Klein, its status as an artwork in itself—gives it an almost mystical aura. Using Klein Blue is a statement, an allegiance to a certain vision of art: one that seeks to push boundaries and explore the invisible.
Klein Blue is more than just a color: it is a concept, an emotion, a gateway to infinity. Yves Klein managed to transform a simple pigment into a universal symbol, offering the world a timeless shade that continues to inspire and fascinate. Whether on canvas, clothing, or architecture, International Klein Blue remains a vibrant tribute to the artistic quest for the absolute.
In recent years, Klein Blue has made a comeback in the contemporary art scene, especially in sculpture, embraced by pop or neo-pop artists. Kaws, for example, used it early on in his figurines, notably with his character BFF. Whether in Kaws Take, Kaws Share, Kaws Gone, or Kaws Family, all these figures pay homage to Klein Blue.
Discover Kaws’ artworks at the Class Art Biarritz gallery.
The Pompon Bear in Klein Blue: Where Sculpture Meets Absolute Color
More recently, the iconic sculpture of the Pompon Bear has been reinterpreted in this unique shade. Inspired by the famous work of animal sculptor François Pompon, the Klein Blue version transcends simple animal representation to become a contemporary piece. The velvety surface and depth of the blue amplify the bear’s gentle curves, giving the sculpture a dreamlike quality. This modern take refreshes Pompon’s classical bestiary while paying tribute to Yves Klein’s artistic legacy. The Klein Blue Pompon Bear stands as a bridge between tradition and modernity, captivating through both its formal simplicity and color intensity.
Sculptor Richard Orlinski has also embraced Klein Blue, particularly with his famous Wild Kong series, available in multiple sizes and hues close to the iconic blue. Likewise, neo-pop artist Eddy Maniez has created blue Klein versions of wild animals like turtles, octopuses, and fish.
Finally, sculptor Henri Iglesis and his little figures made of blown sheet metal also contribute to this Klein Blue renaissance, as do Antoine Dufilho’s cars—steel blade sculptures like the Bugatti Atlantic Type 57. This list is far from exhaustive, and Yves Klein’s influence on contemporary art will undoubtedly continue for decades to come.
Yves Klein: A Brief Biography
Yves Klein, born April 28, 1928, in Nice and prematurely deceased on June 6, 1962, in Paris from a heart attack at the age of 34, is one of the most influential figures in 20th-century contemporary art. Raised in a family of artists—his mother, Marie Raymond, was a renowned abstract painter, while his father, Fred Klein, worked in figurative painting—Yves Klein was immersed in creativity from a young age.
Though he briefly studied at the French Merchant Navy School and the National School of Oriental Languages, he quickly turned with passion and fervor to art. In the 1950s, he settled in Paris and immersed himself in its art scene. His work soon aligned with the Nouveau Réalisme movement, founded in 1960 by art critic Pierre Restany, alongside artists like Arman, César, and Niki de Saint Phalle.
Klein stood out through his monochromes, exploring the evocative power of pure colors. While Klein Blue (IKB) is his most iconic signature, he also worked with pink and gold monochromes, seeking to express immateriality and spirituality through his canvases. His performance pieces, like Anthropometries, where human bodies became live brushes, also reflected his desire to push the limits of traditional art.
Beyond painting, Yves Klein explored architecture and sculpture, integrating his signature blue into everyday objects and ambitious projects like the "architecture of air." His work embodied a mystical quest for the infinite and the invisible, attempting to capture the immaterial in a rapidly changing society.
Sadly, Yves Klein died at just 34 from a heart attack, leaving behind a brief yet incredibly dense and visionary body of work. His legacy lives on through works exhibited in the world’s greatest museums and his enduring influence on generations of contemporary artists.
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