Brecht Evens released his first graphic novel “The Wrong Place” 10 years ago, causing a sensation far and wide. The distinctive unconventional watercolour technique that Evens used, devoid of outlines, was enthusiastically received. Without panels, and in subtle bright colours, the characters, backgrounds and painted colourful text merge with one another.
Published when Evens was only 23 years old, “The Wrong Place” tells the story of his generation, for which nothing is more important than having the right friends and belonging to the right peer group.
His brilliant debut comic won multiple awards and became a bestseller. Evens continued to develop his style in his subsequent graphic novels “The Making Of” (2011), “Panther” (2014) and “The City of Belgium” (2018). In his images, which have a fascinatingly luscious glow and are virtually loaded with magic, everything is masterfully interconnected: the characters, the backgrounds and even the text, which is also dabbed on with a brush. Sophisticated interplay of superimposition and transparency brings out the depicted people’s inner workings, making feelings and atmospheres visible, and indeed almost tangible – not least in “The City of Belgium”, which describes three individuals’ journeys through an overlong frenzied night.
Brecht Evens was born in 1986 in Flemish Hasselt. He studied at the LUCA School of Arts in Ghent. Today, he lives and works in Paris. For his graphic novels, which have been translated into several languages, Brecht Evens has won numerous prestigious awards, including two “fauves” at the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée in Angoulême. In addition to comics, Brecht Evens has also published a portrait of Paris, his adopted home, in the Fondation Louis Vuitton Travel Books series. He also draws for renowned magazines and newspapers, such as “The New York Times”, “Libération”, as well as for designer fashion brand Cotélac. In Antwerp (2012) and Brussels (2018), Evens has created large frescos.
In an exhibition covering all his work, Cartoonmuseum Basel presents originals by this up-and-coming Belgian artist, some of which are in large formats.