The multitalented French author and illustrator Benjamin Lacombe lends his unique spirit to our Paperblanks collection with this lively design. In this Empress Jingu cover, from his 2023 book titled Storie di donne samurai (“Stories of Samurai Women”), the artist’s ability to capture humanity and honest emotion through his art is on full display.

Described by the artist himself as a combination of pop surrealism and lowbrow art, Lacombe’s style has a vintage look while being distinctly contemporary. With diverse interests ranging from painting and sculpture to cinema and music, Lacombe has come to be seen as one of the leaders of contemporary French illustration.

Having grown up in Paris, Lacombe pursued his schooling at the city’s iconic École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs before publishing his first graphic novel at the age of 19. Today, Lacombe’s career has truly taken off, and his imaginative works are published and translated around the world.