Comic Art Museum - Brussels

Claude Renard has left an indelible mark on Belgian comic book history. Yet he is not so well known to the general public. He was an illustrator, sculptor, graphic designer, designer, scenographer and set and costume designer for theatre, but above all he was the extraordinary inspirer of the Atelier R in St-Luc Brussels. There, in the 1970s, he trained an exceptional generation of comic book creators, whom he introduced to the world in the legendary magazine Le 9è Rêve.

Six years after his death, his son Romain, together with Thierry Bellefroid, is reviving the worlds of this aesthete, whose whole life was a work of art. From his bustling studio that he transformed into a cabinet of curiosities to the furniture of his home, from the graphic design of his covers to the posters for his shows, from futuristic comics to history books, from his mineral sculptures to his fascination with Galileo, from his multifarious collections to his countless tools, Claude Renard is elusive. Like the exhibition showcasing his work, he is both whole and fragmented.

With contributions from former students of Atelier R, published in Le 9è Rêve, including François Schuiten, Andréas, Sokal, Berthet, Chantal De Spiegeleer, Séraphine, Foerster, Alain Goffin, Anne Baltus and many others.

Curator: Thierry Bellefroid and Romain Renard