Yvan Guillo, aka Samplerman, received the 2019 EESI prize (European Superior Picture School of Angoulême). This year, the Fondation d’entreprise Martell sponsors this award and offers the winning artist to create a huge installation for its edifice in Cognac. All over the windows of the monumental stairs, Samplerman achieved five bespoke illustrations, the biggest being 4-meter-high and 2-meter-large. In the end, the windows were turned into colored and surprising stained glasses. From inside, these drawings display various patterns the artist uses in his numerical collages, borrowed from the late twentieth century comics. From outside, as night falls, the illustrations transform into backlit beacon – to the passerby, they show the way up to the panoramic bar, on the Foundation’s 24-meter-high rooftop.

From September, 22nd to September, 20, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days 2019, Samplerman comes to the Foundation to direct workshops and meet the most curious people !

On the agenda:

Friday, September 20th, 2019

MEETING
Come to meet the artist and discover his works for the inauguration of this new exhibition. What were his inspirations, how does he realize his collages …?
His work and his exhibition at the Foundation will have no secrets for you!

Saturday 21st, Sunday 22nd September 2019 / 3pm

WORKSHOPS
Samplerman will introduce children and teenagers to the Ninth Art at a workshop, they can create comic strips.
The workshop will be followed by a snack provided by Biocoop.
Open to all public from 8 years, free on reservation (20 participants maximum), lasting about 1h30.

Friday 20th, Saturday 21st, Sunday 22nd September 2019 / 5.30pm

GUIDED VISITS
The Foundation will offer a free narrated visit at 5.30pm every day from the EHD.

Samplerman is one of the numerous pseudonym Yvan Guillo chose to sign his comics. Born in 1971, he studied applied arts and didn’t wait to publish his comics: he created his own fanzine – Crachoir, which randomly appears since 1992. He also used another pseudonym, Yvang, to publish comics in small magazines such as Strong (FR), L’Horreur est Humaine (FR), Gorgonzola (FR), Que Suerte (ES). He diversifies technics and styles, he gives advantage to experiment and tries his hand at strip in local press or at blog publication since 2005.

Since 2013, his “Samplerman” collages, first seen of Tumblr, seem to draw the public’s attention so that this parallel activity becomes, step by step, his main artistic occupation. These digitally designed pages give him the opportunity to be commissionned for covers, posters, record sleeves and video animation creation.