Etienne Delessert was born in 1941 in Switzerland, and now lives in
Lakeville, Connecticut, with his wife Rita Marshall and their son Adrien.
For more than thirty years this self-taught artist has been translating
his-and the world's-ideas, passions, fantasies and nightmares into the
visual language of books, magazine illustrations, posters, animated films,
paintings and sculptures. He reaches both children and adults with his
imaginary creatures and landscapes, juxtaposing the familiar with the
fantastic to clarify this world and create new and lasting universes.
Delessert has illustrated more than eighty books, some translated in 14
languages, with more than four million copies sold worldwide. From his
groundbreaking The Endless Party, created in the 60's, along with his
influential collaborations with Eugene Ionesco (Story Number One) and Jean
Piaget (How The Mouse...), to his more recent award-winning A Long Long
Song; Ashes, Ashes; Dance!; The Seven Dwarfs; Who Killed Cock Robin?; and Humpty Dumpty, he
is considered as one of the fathers of modern childrens' picture books.
Twice he was honored by the Premio Grafico of the Bologna World
Children's Book Fair.
His illustrations have appeared in leading magazines and newspapers such
as The Atlantic Monthly, Le Monde and The New York Times. His animated
films include the adventures of the endearing Yok-Yok and creations for
Sesame Street.
He is the recipient of thirteen gold and twelve silver medals of the American
Society of Illustrators as well as the 1996 Hamilton King Award.
Throughout his career Delessert's work has won acclaim around the world.
In 1975 his one-man retrospective hung at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, in
the Louvre. A second retrospective, originated in 1991 by the Palazzo delle
Esposizioni in Rome, travelled to Switzerland, France, Canada and five american cities, before
coming to the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.. And another
retrospective was initiated in 1997 by the Olympic Museum in Lausanne,
Switzerland. It then went to France before coming to New York at the School
of Visual Arts Museum.
Etienne Delessert was born in 1941 in Switzerland, and now lives in
Lakeville, Connecticut, with his wife Rita Marshall and their son Adrien.
