Philippe Geluck: creator of Le Chat

2. Can you tell us more about your creative process?

Philippe Geluck: For me, the possibilities have always been endless. Since I had a dedicated page in the newspaper, I could publish whatever came to mind, always trying to keep things as varied as possible.

Then, one day, I expanded my practice to large-scale paintings, first in oil and later in acrylic, for gallery and museum exhibitions. That side of my work involves countless preparatory sketches.

I revisit the works of renowned artists, and my mindset is completely different from when I'm drawing for the press. I create images, objects, and sculptures knowing they will be experienced by visitors standing a few feet away, looking at them together and, hopefully, laughing as they discuss them.

3. How would you define what makes your work unique?

Philippe Geluck: It's never easy to describe yourself. Let's just say that, above all, I enjoy having fun. I love making jokes, making people laugh, and taking a fresh look at Art with a capital A. I've been fortunate enough to meet some extraordinary artists and become friends with them, including Pierre Soulages, Ernest Pignon-Ernest, and Bernar Venet, to name just a few.

I enjoy paying tribute to them with affectionate, admiring, and, I hope, respectful nods. At the same time, that doesn't stop me from bringing a touch of irreverence to their work through the eyes of Le Chat.

4. Where do the ideas for your drawings come from?

Philippe Geluck: The truth is, I don't go looking for them. They come to me. I've always considered it a wonderful gift to have remained inspired for so many years and to still feel that inspiration today.

I don't ask myself too many questions about where these ideas come from or how they take shape. I'm afraid that trying to explain them might break the magic. I'd rather let them arrive naturally and keep welcoming them.

5. Le Chat has become an iconic character. How has your relationship with him evolved over the years?

Philippe Geluck: When I created Le Chat on March 3, 1983, I had no idea how long he would live or how important he would become in both my life and the lives of my readers.

At first, I genuinely thought he was just a small, anecdotal character. But after a few months, as the first letters from readers started arriving, I realized I had probably created someone who would stay with me for quite some time.

Our relationship is purely professional. We only meet in my studio, where I draw and reinvent him every day. He has never invaded my private life, and I've always been careful about maintaining that boundary. Of course, people talk to me about him in the street, but if you came to my home, you would never guess that I created Le Chat. There are no posters on the walls, no paintings hanging in the house.

Our relationship is like that of a comedy duo or two music hall performers tossing the spotlight back and forth. Sometimes it's his turn, sometimes it's mine, rather like Laurel and Hardy.

6. Which artists have had the greatest impact on you and your career?

Philippe Geluck: First and foremost, cartoonists and illustrators. In no particular order, I'd mention Reiser, Siné, Chaval, Ungerer, Steinberg, Sempé, Bosc, Tetsu, and many others.

The painters and sculptors who have moved me come from every era: Rembrandt, Goya, Picasso, Warhol, Pollock, Soulages, Daumier, Manet, Monet, as well as ancient Egyptian art.

My influences are eclectic and wide-ranging. I simply love admiring great artists.

7. Finally, what are you currently working on?

Philippe Geluck: My immediate plan is simple: to keep enjoying myself for as long as possible while continuing to entertain others.

One of my major projects is the Museum of Le Chat and Cartoon Art in Brussels, which I've been working on since 2014. You may have read recently that I was bringing the project to an end. To be more precise, I've ended the original version of the project, the one developed in partnership with the Brussels-Capital Region. The economic conditions eventually became overwhelming, and I realized I couldn't continue down that path.

But anyone who knows me knows I don't give up that easily.

There is a Plan B currently in the works, and I hope it will come to fruition within the next two years. For now, though, that's all I can say.

Their favorite artworks