Belgian, b. 1946 François Schuiten was born in Brussels into a family of architects; his father, mother, and older sibling all pursued matching professions. On May 3, 1973, the artist carved a different path for himself at the age of 17 after getting published in Pilote magazine, home to several major Franco-Belgian comic series such as Moebius’ Blueberry, Philippe Druillet’s Lone Sloane, and Gotlib’s Superdupont. The architectural influence that dominated the artist’s formative years had come to shape his art philosophy and was made prominent in his work for Les Cités Obscures, a series of bande dessinées published in collaboration with French writer Benoit Peeters over a course of 25 years. Facilitated by a successful career in graphic novel illustration, Schuiten graduated into scenography and has contributed to the design of several exhibition spaces and metro stations across Europe. In addition to conducting the redesign of the Arts et Métiers station of the Paris Métro, the artist saved and restored the first house designed by art nouveau architect Victor Horta, the Maison Autrique. A recipient of the 2002 Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême, the artist’s contributions to illustration, film, animation, and design have cemented his place amongst the masters of his generation.