touching FOLON Book1 – From Le questionnaire de Proust

“touching FOLON Book 1” is a book to “know” Jean-Michel Folon, featuring his early drawings and responses to Proust’s questionnaire.

Jean-Michel Folon (1934-2005) was a Belgian artist known for his humorous line drawings, beautiful colors, fantastical worldviews, and strong messages warning humanity. He gained global recognition from the 1970s onwards, and this year marks the first exhibition in Japan in about 30 years, prompting the publication of two books. Faced with Folon’s diverse and poetic works, one’s heart gently opens, feeling Folon not in the past, but in the future. These two books offer a journey to discover Folon.

The first book is a journey to “know” Folon.
In 1955, at the age of 21, Folon left his hometown of Brussels, Belgium, and came to Paris. This book includes 50 early drawings before he developed his signature colorful works, along with his answers to Le questionnaire de Proust, made famous by Marcel Proust.
The interplay of drawings and charming responses highlights Folon’s personality, imaginative thinking, social awareness, and trust and hope in humanity, rising together with his works.
Also included is a contribution from Colette Portal, an artist and Folon’s first wife. Her vivid recollections of their meeting in Paris, their creative and daily life, and their days in rural Bièvres bring Folon’s charm to life.