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 sais, 2003

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

Illustration from L'apprentissage amoreux, 2005

Les voyages merveilleux de Lilou la Fée, 2006

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

L'abécèdaire de la colère, 2008

Tout va bien Merlin!, 2009

Illustration from Saltimbanques, 2011

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