Philip Paquet is the author of the widely acclaimed graphic novel ‘Louis’, on the life of Louis Armstrong. Ever since it became distinctively clear that Jazz has had an important influence on his work. Not only thematically but also stylistically.

His drawings exhume the atmosphere of the good old times through vivid interpretations of bars filled with smoke, liquor, dames and musicians. The flow of his drawing style evokes the fluency of a 32bar solo by Parker or Coltrane. Seemingly effortlessly he recreates an at first forlorn setting (seedy bars, jazz musicians at the peak and low of their lives, gangsters and much more) into a glorious and sumptuous set piece, displaying his talent for rhythm, grace and sheer aesthetics.

Saturday June 23rd Paquet will present his enormous mural (150m² no less) in Berchem. After some initial research into the colourful history of Berchem, which triggered his inner sense of nostalgia, he came up with a listing of local hero’s and buildings long forgotten. From this grew an epic reconstruction not only to glorify the rich past of this charming district, but also to capture the richness and the warmth Berchem still offers today.

The mural will be inaugurated by Ronny De Bie (Alderman for Culture of Berchem) and Güler Turan (Alderman for Community Development) at 13h30.The festivities will be held at De Villegaspark (in the Uitbreidingstraat).