March 1, 1934 – October 2005
Folon is best known for his imaginary landscapes and cityscapes peopled with little hatted men, robots or a wind up toys. Innocent, dreamlike and whimsical, his work aims to express the taste and bitterness of our times in a concise and almost childlike manner. His works, such as his “I’m Writing from…” series, depict the comical characters that ponder man’s predicament, depicting human feelings such as love, loss, loneliness, joy, and hope. Folon’s unique sense of color and imaginative, surrealist eye transforms this work into an evocative dream-like landscape.
Jean-Michel Folon had his first solo show in the United States in 1969, followed by exhibitions in Tokyo; Venice; Milan; London; Sao Paulo; Geneva; Brussels, and Paris. Folon has illustrated works by Kafka, Lewis Carroll, and Ray Bradbury and his drawings have appeared in “The New Yorker” and other prestigious periodicals.