Partir (F232), 2001

Contemporary artist Jean-Michel Folon attained notoriety in several different mediums, including painting, illustrating and sculpting. The Belgian-born Folon studied architecture at the Institut St. Luc in Brussels. He began his foray into the art world as a watercolor painter. Jean-Michel Folon’s first exhibition, which took place at the Lefebre Gallery in New York City in 1969 was in that style. However, as Folon's career took off, he moved into etching, silkscreen, illustrations, mosaics and stained glass. Jean-Michel Folon participated in the twenty-fifth Venice Biennele, a bi-annual celebration at which contemporary artists, dancers, architects and stage performers from around the world gather to share their work. Several internationally-renowned museums have dedicated exhibitions to Folon, including the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, France; the Museo Correr in Venice, Italy; and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. One of his famous works is 'The Feast,' completed in 1983. Folon published drawings in a number of American newspapers. In addition,his illustrations have been featured in works by famous authors, such as Franz Kafka, Ray Bradbury, Jorge Luis Borges and AlbertCamus. Jean-Michel Folon was named a UNICEF Ambassador in 2004 and died the following year at age 71. (Artist website)