In Cherbourg, the dreamlike and disturbing worlds of comic book author Brecht Evens

Inviting visitors into the "Medusa's Lair" on the Normandy coast was a bold move, even if it risked scaring away the crowds. The Thomas Henry Museum in Cherbourg (Manche) didn't hesitate, and it is under this title that the establishment is dedicating, on the occasion of the twelfth edition of its ^9th Art Biennale, an exhibition to Belgian comic book author Brecht Evens. The exhibition, on display until November 16, delves into the dreamlike and disturbing worlds of the 39-year-old artist, but is not limited to presenting plates familiar to his readers. It revisits one of his manufacturing secrets: the use of artisanal printing techniques.

For the Flemish artist's lair is not located within the Cherbourg Museum of Fine Arts, but 350 kilometers away, in an alleyway in the Parisian Bastille district. It is Michael Woolworth's printing workshop. This is where the artist found refuge, particularly during the lockdown, amidst the 19th ^- century wooden presses, the smell of ink, and the bustle of busy artisans—four or five employees each day. There, the designer creates lithographs, prints, and engravings with the help of the American printer and his teams. To allow visitors to better grasp this working atmosphere, the Thomas Henry Museum has reproduced part of the workshop in its rooms—one of the presses is on display—and is showing a video filmed during the production of the plates in Paris.

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