| François Schuiten | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1956-04-26)26 April 1956 (age 69) Brussels, Belgium |
| Area | Artist |
François Schuiten (born 26 April 1956) is aBelgiancomic book artist. He is best known for drawing the seriesLes Cités Obscures.
François Schuiten was born inBrussels, Belgium, in 1956.[1] His father, Robert Schuiten, and his mother, Marie-Madeleine De Maeyer, were both architects. He has five brothers and sisters, one of whom is also an architect.
During his studies at theSaint-Luc Institute in Brussels (1975–1977), he metClaude Renard [de], who led the comics department at the school. Together they created several books. Schuiten's brotherLuc Schuiten [de;fr;nl] also worked with him several times as a writer for the seriesTerres Creuses.
Schuiten published his first comic on 3 May 1973, consisting of five black and white pages in theFranco-Belgian comics magazinePilote; four years later he was published in the more experimental magazineMétal Hurlant.[1] He married Monique Toussaint in 1980; they have four children.
Schuiten's love of architecture became apparent in the seriesCities of the Fantastic, an evocation of fantastic, partly imaginary cities that he created with his friendBenoît Peeters from 1983 for the Belgian monthly comics magazineÀ Suivre. Every story focuses on one city or building, and further explores a world where architects,urbanists, and ultimately "urbatects", are the leading powers and architecture is the driving force behind society. Styles explored in the series includeStalinist andfascist architecture inLa Fièvre d'Urbicande, skyscrapers inBrüsel, but also theGothic cathedrals inLa Tour.[1] This fascination with architecture and the possible and impossible cities it can generate is further explored inThe Gates of the Possible, a weekly series Schuiten created for the newspapersLe Soir andDe Morgen in 2005.
Inspired by artists and scientists alike, Schuiten's work can be considered to mix the mysterious worlds ofRené Magritte, the early scientific fantasies ofJules Verne, the graphical worlds ofM. C. Escher andGustave Doré, and the architectural visions ofVictor Horta andÉtienne-Louis Boullée.[1] The creative synergy between Schuiten's work and the books of Jules Verne culminated in 1994 when he was asked to illustrate and design a cover for the publication of Verne's rediscovered bookParis in the Twentieth Century.
Schuiten also collaborated withMaurice Benayoun on the computer graphics seriesQuarxs, and worked as a production designer for a few movies:Gwendoline byJust Jaeckin,Mr. Nobody andToto le héros byJaco Van Dormael,Taxandria byRaoul Servais,The Golden Compass byChris Weitz andMars et Avril byMartin Villeneuve.[2] He is currently working withBenoît Sokal andMartin Villeneuve on the script ofAquarica, a film that will use CGI and motion capture technology.[3]
As a scenographer, Schuiten designed themetro stations ofPorte de Hal/Hallepoort inBrussels andArts et Métiers inParis, and a mural in Brussels. In 2000, he designed thescenography forA planet of visions, one of the main pavilions of theExpo 2000 inHannover, which attracted more than five million visitors. In 2004–05, a large exhibition was held inLeuven,The Gates of Utopia, showing different aspects of his work. He also created the interior of the Belgian pavilion at theExpo 2005 inAichi, Japan, with the painterAlexandre Obolensky.[4] François Schuiten has also designed fifteen Belgian stamps.[5]
Schuiten together with Peeters also helped to save and subsequently restore theAutrique House in Brussels, the first house designed byArt Nouveau architectVictor Horta.
Works by François Schuiten have been translated in most European languages, including Dutch, German, Danish and English.
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