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
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
Tout va bien Merlin!, 2009
Illustration from Saltimbanques, 2011
By the way, it's going to be a very French February here at Animalarium...
