Christian Lax

What makes Lax’s artwork so distinctive is his technique of black ink wash enhanced with touches of watercolor, which enables him to tackle frequently harrowing humanist narratives with great gentleness.

To ensure that your pages are kept in good condition, we recommend that you never expose them to direct light, as UV rays can damage the media used to produce them. Although Indian ink is a perennial material, the paper support may change when exposed to UV light. Note that watercolor plates require special attention, as this medium is particularly sensitive to light. Pieces containing pastel or charcoal require special care to avoid rubbing.
We advise you to display them away from windows, and to use frames made of pH-neutral conservation materials and “Museum” glass with anti-UV and anti-reflective treatment. If you prefer to keep your works unframed, we recommend storing them flat, in drawing cartons, with sheets of pH-neutral permanent paper in between. Keep them away from light and humidity.

Born in 1949, Christian Lax studied at the Saint-Étienne School of Fine Arts before starting his career in advertising, while also publishing in Fripounet and Métal hurlant. His first graphic novel was published by Glénat in 1982, followed in 1987 by his first work as a full-fledged author. Together with Frank Giroud, he created La Fille aux ibis (The Ibis Girl) in 1993, set in Ceaușescu’s Romania, which won the France Info Prize—an award he received again in 1997 for Chiens de fusil (At the Ready). A cycling enthusiast, he produced a remarkable trilogy - L’Aigle sans orteils (The Toeless Eagle), Pain d’alouette (Lark's Bread), L'Écureuil du Vel' d'Hiv' (The Squirrel of the Vel' d'Hiv) - in which the bicycle serves as a metaphor for the suffering and dignity of the humble, a trilogy that has won numerous awards. A teacher at the Émile Cohl School, he also wrote the screenplay for Amère Patrie (Bitter Homeland) for his former student Frédéric Blier, before recently publishing Une Maternité rouge (The Red Mother With Child, 2019).