illustrator & comic book author
born 1975, France
Benjamin Flao is known for his socially and culturally profound stories, which are often based on his own observations in countries such as Africa or South America. Sketchy lines, strong hatching, lively textures and an impressionistic play of light and shadow are characteristic of his drawing style. There is a touch of melancholy that lies over many of his pictures and comics, making them haunting contemporary witnesses.
„So, this little theater of contradictions is a pretty ideal place to tell stories, because it also talks about our world and about life in general. And my head is full of contradictions too. A story is, so to speak, an extension of what you have in your head.“
At the age of 14, Benjamin Flao left school and enrolled at the École Supérieure des Arts Saint-Luc in Belgium. Two years later, he went to Lyon to specialize in comics, cartoons and illustrations at the famous École Emile Cohl. Since 1998, Flaó has made several trips by motorbike through Africa, particularly through Burkina Faso and Eritrea, which he documented in drawings. His stays in Kenya inspired him to write the visually stunning graphic novel “ Kililana Song“ – his first own comic book publication.