58 ARTIST PROFILE PHILIPPE DEBONGNIE
Philippe Debongnie
P
hilippe Debongnie is a Belgian illustrator based in Brussels. His work is produced through a mix of drawing, painting and printing, and digital additions and retouches in Photoshop.
He currently has two ongoing projects which make up the main body of his digital work. His ‘Family Album’ series was inspired by the discovery of an antique photograph album in his parents’ attic. The images spoke to him of times long passed, conveying the essence of their era as the protagonists gaze directly as us through time. Through the manipulation of these images, Debongnie challenges the lines of fact and fiction. He adds colour and pattern, and replaces all of the figure’s heads with those of animals.
White man, 2015, digital collage
He is creating a new fictitious family, member by member; a tribe undefined by species or time, but which you almost believe could have existed together at some point in history. It is a celebration of differences, both in humans and nature. For his ‘Typography Landscapes’ series Debongnie works with old paintings and engravings, placing bold words and phrases within the scenes. Through his careful placement, the text not only conveys a message but also becomes the image, with the image in turn becoming the message. philippedebongnie.be contact@philippedebongnie.be