Yvan Guillo, aka Samplerman, is the winner of the 2019 EESI prize, École Européenne Supérieure de l’Image d’Angoulême. This year, this award is sponsored by the Martell Foundation, which proposed to the artist to create a dizzying installation for the building in Cognac. On all the windows of the monumental staircase, Samplerman made five custom-made illustrations, up to 4 meters high and 2 meters wide. The result: a series of colorful and unexpected stained glass windows. From the inside, these illustrations show the repertoire of motifs that the artist uses in his digital collages, from the comics of the second half of the 20th century. From the outside, when night falls, the illustrations turn into backlit signals that invite passers-by to climb to the panoramic bar, on the roof terrace of the Foundation, 24 metres high.

Samplerman is one of the pseudonyms of comic book author Yvan Guillo, born in 1971. After studying applied arts, he immediately self-published his comics in his own fanzine Crachoir, which has appeared randomly since 1992. He has also published under the pseudonym Yvang in numerous small-circulation journals such as Stronx (FR), L’Horreur est Humaine (FR), Gorgonzola (FR), Que Suerte (ES). Varying techniques and styles, favouring experimentation, he also tries to strip in the local press, or to publish in blog form from 2005.
Since 2013 his collages labeled «Samplerman», first presented on the Tumblr platform seem to attract the attention of the public. This parallel project gradually became his main artistic activity. These pages made digitally earned him orders for covers, posters, album covers, video animations.

From 20 to 22 September 2019, as part of the European Heritage Days, Samplerman will be at the Foundation to lead workshops and meet the curious !

On the programme 

Friday, September 20, 2019

MEETING
Come and meet the artist and his works for the inauguration of this new exhibition. What were his inspirations, how does he make his collages … ?
His work and exhibition at the Foundation will have no secrets for you !

Saturday 21, Sunday 22 September 2019/ 3pm

WORKSHOPS
Samplerman will introduce children and teenagers to the Ninth Art during a workshop, they will be able to create comic strips.
The workshop will be followed by a snack provided by Biocoop.
Open to all public from 8 years, free on reservation (20 participants maximum), lasting about 1h30.

Friday 20, Saturday 21, Sunday 22 September 2019/ 17:30

VISITS TOLD
The Foundation will offer a free narrated tour at 5:30 pm every day of the JEP.