Henri Michaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henri Michaux
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| Born | 24 May 1899 Namur, Belgium |
| Died | 19 October 1984 (aged 85) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Poet, journalist and painter |
| Citizenship | Belgian, French (from 1955) |
| Genre | Surrealism, asemic writing |
| Notable works | My Properties (1929); Plume (1938); Miserable Miracle: Mescaline (1956). |
Henri Michaux (born May 24, 1899, in Namur, Belgium – died October 19, 1984, in Paris, France) was a very unique Belgian-French artist. He was a talented poet, writer, and painter. Michaux was famous for his unusual and original poems and stories. He also created amazing art, and his work was shown in big museums like the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
He wrote interesting travel books and books about art. Michaux is also well-known for his stories about a character named Plume. Plume is a very calm man who often finds himself in funny and unlucky situations. Michaux's poems are still studied in France today. In 1955, he became a French citizen. In 1965, he won a major French literary award, but he chose not to accept it, just like he turned down other honors during his life.
A Japanese animator named Ryo Orikasa made a short film in 2023 called Miserable Miracle, which was inspired by Michaux's poetry.
Contents
Henri Michaux's Life Story
His Travels Around the World
In 1930 and 1931, Michaux traveled to faraway places like Japan, China, and India. This trip inspired his book A Barbarian in Asia. The cultures of Asia became a big influence on his work. Ideas from Buddhism and the art of calligraphy (beautiful handwriting) later appeared in many of his poems and drawings.
He also visited Ecuador and wrote a travel book about his experiences there. His journeys across the Americas ended in Brazil in 1939, where he lived for two years.
His Amazing Visual Art
Michaux was a truly original artist. He was connected to a style called Tachisme in the 1940s and 50s, which focused on abstract art with splashes and dabs of paint. However, his art was much more than just that. For example, he created dream-like pictures of faces and heads.
His artwork often used thick, expressive brushstrokes that looked a bit like calligraphy or asemic writing (writing without words). It also had elements of abstract expressionism, where artists express feelings through colors and shapes. The Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the Guggenheim Museum in New York both held major exhibitions of his work in 1978.
Henri Michaux's Books and Writings
Michaux wrote many books and poems throughout his life. Here are a few of his well-known works:
- Qui je fus (1927) - Who I Was
- Mes propriétés (1929) - My Properties
- Ecuador (1929) - A travel journal
- Un certain Plume (1930; revised 1938 and 1963 as Plume) - Stories about the character Plume
- Un barbare en Asie (1933; revised 1945) - A Barbarian in Asia
- La nuit remue (1935) - The Night Moves
- Voyage en Grande Garabagne (1936) - Voyage to Great Garaban
- Plume précédé de Lointain Intérieur (1938; revised 1963) - Plume preceded by Faraway Within
- Au pays de la Magie (1941) - In the Land of Magic
- Épreuves, Exorcismes (1940-1944) - Ordeals, Exorcisms
- Meidosems (1948) - Poems and lithographs
- Misérable Miracle (La mescaline) (1956) - Miserable Miracle
- L'Infini turbulent (1957) - Infinite Turbulence
- Connaissance par les gouffres (1961) - Light Through Darkness
- Les Grandes Épreuves de l'esprit et les innombrables petites (1966) - The Major Ordeals of the Mind
- Poteaux d'angle (1971) - Tent Posts
See also
In Spanish: Henri Michaux para niños
