Saturday, February 4, 2012

Exquisite Monsters


Illustration from L'abécèdaire de la colère

As soon as I first saw the artworks of Swiss illustrator Emmanuele Houdart I was captivated
by their beauty and originality. Houdart was born in Geneve, where she studied art, and later moved to Paris
to pursue her career as an illustrator. SInce then she has illustrated over twenty children's books, 
some written by her and others by authors like Laëtitia Bourget
Houdarts' surreal worlds are populated with a strange variety of monsters and hybrid creatures,
fantastical representations of her inner dreams, thoughts and emotions.

Illustration from Les choses que je sais2003

Some of her books have won important prizes, including the 2005 Bologna Ragazzi Award for Monstres Malades



Illustration from L'apprentissage amoreux2005


Houdart creates her illustrations with felt-tip pens, a technique which leaves very little space
 for mistakes. Often she utilizes a very restrained color palette, which I find both elegant
 and powerful. I love her illustrations colored in shades of red and green.

Dedans, 2006




Illustration from Saltimbanques, 2011

By the way, it's going to be a very French February here at Animalarium...



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