Sébastien Léon Unveils Inca City at Ralph Pucci New York

The French-born, New York-based artist explores illusion, craft, and speculative mythology in his latest exhibition.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Sébastien Léon, a French-born, New York-based artist, has unveiled his latest exhibition, Inca City, at Ralph Pucci in New York. The exhibition takes its name from a geological formation on Mars that resembles ancient ruins, and Léon has used this as a conceptual anchor to create a body of work that blends sculpture, collectible furniture, blown glass, sound, and immersive environments. Working with master artisans at the Ralph Pucci Sculpture Studio, Léon has produced pieces that oscillate between solid and void, fragility and strength, the ancient and the futuristic, challenging the viewer's perception of reality.

Why it matters

Léon's work explores the tension between scientific explanation and intuitive recognition, opening up a space where reason and imagination coexist. His use of trompe-l'œil techniques and his debt to the illusionist Houdini reflect a broader cultural shift towards mediated, shifting, and uncertain experiences of reality.

The details

The collection spans a range of materials, including metal, resin, fiber, plaster, blown glass, and woven textiles. Léon approaches the dialogue between these disparate materials by thinking in terms of creating a universe made of unexpected fabrication processes. He uses trompe-l'œil techniques to make materials appear as something they are not, and he pushes the boundaries of what is physically possible to create objects that defy gravity and challenge the viewer's perception.

  • The exhibition, Inca City, is currently on view at Ralph Pucci in New York.

The players

Sébastien Léon

A French-born, New York-based artist who works across sculpture, collectible furniture, blown glass, sound, and immersive environments, exploring themes of illusion, craft, and speculative mythology.

Ralph Pucci

The owner of the Ralph Pucci Sculpture Studio, where Léon collaborated with master artisans to produce the works in the Inca City exhibition.

Žarko Davinic

The Editor-in-Chief of DSCENE, who interviewed Léon about the Inca City exhibition.

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What they’re saying

“Finding something so reminiscent of an Inca ruin on Mars does not quite make logical sense, and that tension between scientific explanation and intuitive recognition is where my work often begins. It opens up a space of what if, where reason and imagination coexist.”

— Sébastien Léon, Artist (DSCENE)

“If it feels right, let us go with it. We will understand later.”

— Sébastien Léon, Artist (DSCENE)

“Illusion is about breaking rules, but it only works when execution is seamless.”

— Sébastien Léon, Artist (DSCENE)

What’s next

The Inca City exhibition at Ralph Pucci in New York will be on display until March 15, 2026.

The takeaway

Sébastien Léon's Inca City exhibition at Ralph Pucci showcases the artist's mastery of illusion and his ability to create works that challenge the viewer's perception of reality, blending scientific explanation and intuitive recognition in a way that invites speculation and escapism.