Composition 116, 1974

Henri Michaux   Famous Artists

The writer, poet, and painter Henri Michaux was born in Namur in 1899. Born into a wealthy family living in Brussels, he grew up reading Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. He studied medicine first, then gave it up to become a sailor. He discovered Lautréamont and began to write a lot himself. He emigrated to Paris in the '20s and renounced Belgium.

From 1925 he discovered painting, which enabled him to « free himself from words, these sticky partners ». His techniques included watercolours, drawing, gouache, engraving and ink. His drawings of neurons, faces, and hundreds of silhouettes invaded the paper to create strange textures. Both in drawing and writing, his content was inspired by his experiences with mescalin which he experimented with very scientifically, a reminder of his penchant for medicine.

He took part in the « L’envolée lyrique » exhibition in Paris (1945-1956) but often refused to accept the awards conferred on him as well as interviews in order to preserve his solitude and discreet place in history. He also never joined any movement, as he considered writing and painting as the means of introspection.