Etienne Friess

Étienne Friess studied illustration at the École Pivaut in Nantes, where he graduated in 2009. A keen music lover, he began his career by illustrating a guitar method for children, Corda dopo corda (String by String), published by Glissato. He then collaborated regularly with Editions Margot, publishing Ici reposent tous les oiseaux (Here Lie All the Birds) in 2013 and Félicien et son orchestra (Felicien and His Orchestra) in 2014, before working with Albin Michel Jeunesse and Actes Sud. A great lover of animals, he depicts them with humanized expressions and demeanors. He works mainly in gouache and watercolor rather than on a computer, preserving the lively and sometimes unpredictable quality of these mediums. Based in Grenoble, he is also developing a live performance project combining drawing, music and improvisation, which he plans to expand into collaborative workshops with young audiences. His research into animal expressions, informed by a deep knowledge of photography and nature documentaries, has become the hallmark of his gentle style, primarily tailored to children’s literature.