David Sala

A true creator of worlds, David Sala stands out for the evocative power of his drawings. Featuring magical colors and finely crafted settings, his children’s illustrations—with their dreamlike compositions, rendered in oil paint—transport viewers into the heart of dreams and legends. The artist approaches comic art with a more instinctive style using graphite and watercolor, playing with composition, rhythm, and a limited color palette. He displays great virtuosity with motifs that coexist harmoniously in his drawings, in the style of Gustav Klimt. David Sala succeeds in conveying the full intensity of the narrative through imagery, creating striking atmospheres. 

Today, David Sala ranks among the most sought-after contemporary French artists in the fields of illustration and auteur comic art, with his market value driven by the rarity of his original pages and the exceptional pictorial quality of his artwork. A page from The Chess Player was sold for 8,710 € at a Daniel Maghen auction in 2023. An illustration created for the deluxe edition of The Chess Player fetched 8,450 €, while a large cover illustration sold for 13,000 € at a Daniel Maghen auction in 2022.

Gouache, oil and acrylic paintings are highly durable. However, a few precautions should be taken to ensure that they will keep for a long time. We recommend that you avoid exposing them to direct light, in order to reduce their exposure to UV rays. Particular attention should be paid to their support in order to protect them from humidity; canvas and wooden supports are particularly sensitive to this element. We recommend that you avoid any sudden changes in temperature or humidity, which could lead to tension or loosening of the canvas, requiring the intervention of a framer.

Born in 1973 in Décines, David Sala studied for five years at the Émile Cohl School in Lyon before beginning his career as an illustrator of book covers and children’s picture books.  He made his mark in comic art in 2000 with the Replay trilogy, created with Jorge Zentner, and went on to confirm his talent with the series Nicolas Eymerich, Inquisitor. As a writer, artist and colorist, he has developed a unique visual universe that blends painting, storytelling and imagination. Alongside his work in comic art, he has created numerous acclaimed children’s books, including La Colère de Banshee, La Belle et la Bête, and Hansel et Gretel.  He has enjoyed widespread success with his literary adaptations, notably Stefan Zweig’s The Chess Player and, more recently, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Complete biography.