“Of course, there’s melting ice, decrepitude, betrayal, agony. Sure, there’s death.
But mignonism is there, searching hard, close at hand, to ward off fate and approach these uncertain shores more appeased.
Mignonism is there to make the worst bearable. All you have to do is open your eyes: there’s always something cute somewhere. It’s a question of optics.”

One might see Philippe Katerine as nothing more than a facile pencil sketch, the kind you might make over the phone while listening to a chatty old aunt. This would be a big mistake, because Philippe Katerine doesn’t give himself a book like a child using his charm, in this case his notoriety.

The well-known actor (Césarisé in 2019) director, singer and composer is also a sculptor and draughtsman. Ever since he studied Fine Arts in his early youth, he has enjoyed drawing everyday life while humorously questioning the big questions of existence.

A confinement to the countryside enabled him to develop, through sketches, composition, salt dough sculptures and cut-outs, “Mignonisme”, a very cute artistic current born on the border between Dadaism and Surrealism.

You can discover him at Le Bon Marché until April 24 and with his book published by Hélium, ad vitam æternam…

Meeting – signing session with Philippe Katerine on Thursday March 31 from 6pm to 8pm!