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Written by Administrator
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 Kiraz illustration for Gala, Sept. 1997, photo: Laurent Lecat
Kiraz was born in Cairo and began his career as a political cartoonist in Egypt during WWII. He became a "Parisian" when he moved to Paris in 1946. Since then he has created illustrations for such products as Perrier, Canderel and Nivea. While working for the French magazine Jours de France Kiraz switched from politics to humor and began illustrating his now famous poutty long-legged "Parisiennes" Part of the charm of his drawings is that they often include slightly naughty captions (a separate room is dedicated to his illustrations for Playboy).
Since 1953 Kiraz has published 12 books of his cartoons. Two of his latest books in English are "Never the First Evening" and "Kiraz in Playboy" (2002). What inspires KIraz about the French capital are the Parisian women themselves. He says he likes to hangout in cafes while girl watching and then go home and draw them. "My sources of inspiration is the street," says Kiraz. "Two girls talking on a cafe terrace... c'est magnifique!"
"Les Parisiennes de KIraz" to Sept 21, 2008, Musée Carnavalet, 23, rue de Sévigné, 75f003 Paris, open daily 10-6pm, except Mondays and holidays.
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