From the avant-garde, the French illustrator reinterprets the classics of our childhood with sincerity and mystery. His way of drawing and his colours have led him to generate emotions in his audience that they never thought possible, especially for this new edition of The Little Mermaid.

Many interpretations are known of the famous tale written in 1837 by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The different film versions -<a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/things-to-know-about-halle-bailey-the-little-mermaid-beyonce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Little Mermaid</a> by Walt Disney Pictures and The Mermaid Princess by Tomoharu Katsumata- teach how it was adapted for different audiences : in the first, the little mermaid manages to make her love with the prince possible, in the second, she saves her love from death and returns to the sea to free him from the spells. Both show different endings and ways of seeing this story, however they deal with issues that have remained part of the story since the first version: searching for an identity, sacrificing everything to achieve an impossible love and accepting your body as it is. For this edition by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/benjaminlacombe/">Benjamin Lacombe (40)</a> , the Frenchman considered one of the best illustrators of the moment, was no stranger to these themes. He kept Andersen's original version, from beginning to end, and gave him his own look through his colours and his way of drawing .

The outstanding illustrator has spent his whole life reinterpreting what he is passionate about through drawing. He was born in Paris in 1982, something that caused his work to be influenced by the different animation genres of that time . At just 19 years old, he edited his first comic that eventually became his first feature: Cherry Guinda . What started as a final project ended up being one of the best children's books in 2007 according to Times Magazine . From then on he did not stop: in his career he has represented classics such as Little Red Hood, Snow White, <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/portraits/alice-in-wonderland-ibiza-portraits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alice in Wonderland,</a> Los Cuentos Macabros, The Wizard of Oz , among others.
From Paris, passing through Colombia and Argentina, Benjamin came to Chile to talk about his work in this new edition of The Little Mermaid. He spoke with L'Officiel Chile about his process when illustrating, and he showed how this new version came out at the right time, given that five years ago it would not have had the same impact .

<h3 style="text-align: justify;">L'OFFICIEL: Illustration is a different way of telling a story, in your case, iconic tales from our childhood. How do you prepare to start your job?</h3>
BENJAMIN LACOMBE: It all depends on the project. For example, in The Little Mermaid, what made me represent it in this way -with these phosphorescent colours that I never thought I would use (laughs)- was its plot and what this story seeks to show: identity and wanting to be someone different. This work was very special because I was able to reinterpret Andersen's biography, which deals with self-love and a love that is not possible.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">L'O: What do you want to generate in your audience?</h3>
BL: What a good question. I am excited to generate strong emotions, that my characters have expressions and give the feeling that they have a life inside the book.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">L'O: Your illustrations are characterized by their big eyes, like a kind of anime. What drawing technique inspires you?</h3>
BL: It's always very difficult to answer that question. I grew up in the 80s, in France, at a time when anime was at its peak: I saw Akira, Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon , which clearly inspired my way of illustrating. However, before that, it was Disney that inspired me to draw in this way; people forget that the big eyes started there and that the anime was inspired by it. Since I was little I have illustrated like this, because I have an obsession with expressing feelings and saying something through my eyes. The pandemic made us realize the power of the eyes and how much can be said through them.

<h3 style="text-align: justify;">L&#39;O: Do you think that mystery has become your essence?</h3> BL: This is very interesting, because one of the artists I most admire is Leonardo Da Vinci and if I had to choose one word to describe his art it would be this. In his paintings you find mystery from his characters to the context in which he presents them. There is a story behind that it seeks to tell, which generates curiosity and interest in those who see it. If you deliver all the keys to a work from the beginning, you have nothing more to offer for the imagination.<h3 style="text-align: justify;"> L&#39;O: Tell me more about this new edition of The Little Mermaid, what was it like to vindicate the figure of the author?</h3> BL: It was a process that started in a certain way, but it changed a lot as I got to know the story and his life. I am very happy to have made a version that proposes a new way of reading The Little Mermaid, and I hope it generates something different in people. These classics are like good songs that never go out of style and that can be reinterpreted many times, always having something new.<h3 style="text-align: justify;"> L&#39;O: What is The Little Mermaid for you?</h3> BL: For me, The Little Mermaid is the story of someone who seeks to find her place in the world, feels different and is dissatisfied with her body. It deals with people who are in search of their own identity, something that happens to all of us at least once in our lives. It is very interesting to see how this new edition came out at the right time, because things have changed and young people are asking themselves more and more about their identity, gender and sexuality; an extremely important topic.

The art of illustrating by Benjamin Lacombe

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