French, b. 1961 François Avril was born in Paris, France in 1961. After attending college at the Académie Röderer, he graduated Valedictorian of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d'art. At the age of 23, he published his first work in the magazine Je Bouquine and the fanzine Bande à part. He founded the so-called “Ecole de Pigalle” with artists such as Jacques de Loustal, Charles Berberian and Ted Benoit. The group sought to push the boundaries between graphic art, comics and advertising and shared a common taste for the Hergé-like clear line style. In 1986, he collaborated with Yves Chaland, also known as the master of the atomic style, with whom he published two graphic novels. In 1993, he inaugurated his first solo exhibition at Galerie Christian Desbois in Paris. His illustrations have appeared in the columns of Liberation, The New Yorker, and The Figaro amongst others. In advertising, Avril has been commissioned for campaigns by prestigious houses such as Hermès, Chanel and John Lobb.