Pierre Ballouhey – France

French Cartoonist Pierre Ballouhey graduated from the Decorative Arts School of Grenoble and Fine Arts School of Paris.

Pierre Ballouhey works for children’s books, schoolbooks, and newspapers. His cartoons have been published in French satirical newspapers such as Sine Hebdo, Barricade, Fluide Glacial, and Zélium, French magazines such as L’Éléphant, and also in The Guardian or The New Yorker. Pierre Ballouhey is also President of France Cartoons and has participated in numerous exhibitions in France and abroad.

He teaches editorial cartoons at the “École Émile Cohl” in Lyons.

He has published humor books:
“Gros Mots” La Sirène, “Rêves de Cochons” L’Arganier, “2007, Chaussettes”, “2008 ’Pas la frite !”, “Goguenard, “Irrévérencieux !” Le Bateau-Camionnette, “Les rennes aussi sont des ordures !” Éditions Lajouanie….

He has also held personal exhibitions and taken part in several collective events. He is the president of France Cartoons and a member of Cartooning for Peace, the Cagle Political Cartoon website.

In 2022 he won the Grand prize e humor Vache 2022 in Saint-Just-le-Martel and he won many other prizes.

Q&A

-Do you feel free to express yourself in art?

 Yes.

 -Have you experienced any form of censorship? What happened?

Yes, in my newspaper, a long time ago, 22 years. I was even fired.

 -Do you think there are limits to what art can say, or is it OK to say anything?

 In France, we have great freedom of expression, but it is the French cartoonists who have paid the heaviest price to obscurantism. Since that time, the directors of newspapers have become very cautious.

 -How did it affect you as a cartoonist/person?

 – Yes, of course. I lost my friends and my heroes.