illustration & graphic design // Paris, France

Benjamin Van Blancke, young artist from Paris, chose ink drawing as his specialty. An illustrator of widely recognized talent, his personal production remains, however, purely artistic. Thus, his work moves away from the illustrative aspect and fully penetrates the field of contemporary drawing. He has participated in major projects for brands such as Caterpillar, Procter & Gamble, La monnaie de Paris, the French Post, ZDF, the German Public TV, and more.

Entirely self-taught, Benjamin has been drawing since childhood. He naturally chose to study graphic design for 5 years in Berlin, Germany. With a solid foundational background, he returned to Paris in 2013 and went on to work on major illustration projects. Among his most important commissions are the illustrations he produced for Les éditions Les Belles Lettres, as well as those produced in the 2019 for the Monnaie de Paris. However, it would be a mistake to limit Benjamin’s work to his illustrations alone. Indeed, he has been developing an eminently artistic personal production for several years now, and is establishing himself in the field of contemporary drawing as one of the young talents to follow. Several exhibitions of his work as an artist are currently being prepared.

Anachronism, History and Temporality

Benjamin Van Blancke is passionate about history and architecture. Brutalism, classical, and baroque periods have a heavy influence on his work. He likes to highlight different historical or architectural elements in his productions. From all his interests, he willingly incorporates anachronisms into his drawings. Augustus’ bust emerging from the factories of our industrialized society; knights in armour riding today’s highways. Sometimes devoid of any ulterior motives, these temporal contradictions are for Benjamin Van Blancke a simple intellectual game. Quite often, however, they become a way to invite the viewer to a meditation on the current society and its evolutions. Thus, and without ever imposing his vision, the artist offers the viewer the possibility to reflect freely on the world around him.

A technique influenced by the engravings of the Dutch Golden Age, Benjamin’s technique is pure and simple. He uses ink exclusively as a medium and treats the different shades of grey and opacity thanks to a meticulous hatching process. Monochrome and his extreme attention to details are therefore the key words of his technical know-how. The influence of the old masters on this one is substantial - including Israel Silvestre, Dürer or Cranach the elder.

GROUP EXHIBITION 

Caterpillar Shoes – Salone de Mobile Milano
Milan, Italia
April 2017

Géométrie Spatiale – Galerie #Dièse22
Paris, France
February/March 2019

Collectif Edmond – openspace rue de Rivoli
Paris, France
May 2019

Oasis exhibition – Swiss Cultural Spring – Galerie Palais 
Neuchâtel, Swiss
May 2021

PRIZE

Silver Prize – FABRIANO 750 anniversary
drawing contest, Italian Cultural Institute
Paris, France
May 2014