ART CRUSH | Jean-Jacques Sempé

I’ve never had a mentor, have never been anyone’s protégée, but fortunately, along the way there have been a couple of artists and writers that I admire so much, both for their art and their personality. They are the ones that I look up to, that I secretly ask questions and get answers from. Their own life, how they worked and lived has inspired and guided me through ups and downs in my journey as an artist. Alongside Chihiro Iwasaki, Kawabata Yasunari and Constantine Paustovsky, Jean-Jacques Sempé holds a special place in my heart.

“Le petit Nicolas” marked my first encounter with him, and gradually I came across his other works. He is regarded as a cartoonist and illustrator. But in French, his title is humorist, and I feel like this suits him the most. Extremely smart and acutely observant in his way of telling stories through his drawings or illustrations, Sempé is the kind, humble and discreet soul whose sense of humour is one the finest. He had been the most celebrated artists in his own genre in France. His works never fail to make me smile by just looking at them, sometimes I even laugh out loud. They are small windows that allow me to take a look into his warm heart and intelligent mind. I collect his books and drawings, stories and interviews to keep this beautiful way of looking at life with delight, reminding myself of being soft and gentle and optimistic despite it all. A little laughter here and there will help along the way, too.

In August 2022, his passing was announced in the media and I felt like this world had lost one of its best artists and people. I cried quietly in the cinema watching “Le Petit Nicolas”, letting myself immerse in the nolstagia of his quirky ink drawings and delicate watercolours that reserve the beauty and tenderness of the childhood I have never had.