Breton painter Avel Guillegomarche’h wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to his love of Bretagne’s cultural tapestry, which – as he explains – was inspired by Breton churches, which wear that cultural tapestry on their walls.

“I was born in Gouëzec in Bro-Gernev,” Guillegomarche’h shares with Celtic Life International via email. “After my baccalaureate, I entered the School of Fine Arts in Nantes in 1987, graduating in 1992. Then I worked for a while as a watercolor painter in Tregunc. I sold some watercolors in Concarneau between 1992 and 1994.

“After that, I became a decorative painter, gradually specializing in the restoration of paintings in Breton churches – more precisely, paintings of purlins, pendants, rood beams, frescoes, coats of arms, and Breton saints. Many characters are represented through wooden supports in our local churches – a style rich with Breton imagery that is unique in the world. My drawings are inspired by the characters depicted in the sablières (carved beams), pendillards (a kind of keystone), and calvaries of our chapels, from Cornouaille to Trégor via Léon.

“Since forever, I have been a dreamy poet; I live in a cartoon world permanently – in my churches and in my Breton countryside. It inspires me; I have these characters wandering in my Breton mind, and they regularly come out on paper.”

One such character that made its way from his mind to his pen is Fulpik, a young boy in medieval Breizh who whiles away his days lounging in his hammock.

Guillegomarche’h created Fulpik alongside poet Ronan le Guérinec after a fateful meeting at a fest-noz where he was showcasing some of his watercolours – the pair bonded over their love of Breton culture and a few glasses of chouchen.

“We came up with the idea for Fulpik by sharing all our Breton cultural references,” Guillegoarche’h reminisces. “Ronan will tell you that he is his son, Marius.”

The first volume of The Adventures of Fulpik is already available, with prose by Guérinec – available in both French and Breton – accompanied by Guillegomarche’h’s paintings. The success of the book came as something of a pleasant surprise to the both of them, paving the way for the forthcoming next chapter.

“The big challenge is funding the project; we only exist thanks to our generous donors and readers,” admits Guillegomarche’h. “But people were very touched by Fulpik’s adventures, and some of them have become loyal readers who are eagerly looking forward to reading the second volume. Many Bretons were delighted to find our book in the Breton language, and to see that authors are defending our culture in an original way.”

Preserving and promoting that Breton culture – once so beloved and ever present that it was carved into the wood and stone of their churches across the land – is the paramount purpose of The Adventures of Fulpik.

“These are our traditions: our language, our costumes, our monuments, our boats, our ports, our legends…”

“I would add that the ugliness of the modern world motivates me even more today – the desire to pass on the beauty of Breton culture to young people and families. I would like to see something other than McDonald’s, housing developments, and stores taking the place of monuments in our area. Breizh is a great country, but it is threatened with extinction by globalization. Its history, its kingdom, its kings, its dukes, its traditions, its culture deserve to be told around the world, and that is Fulpik’s role: to save Bretagne!

“Guillegomarche’h says he’s ready to take Fulkpik across the globe and believes that Fulpik has the potential to reach the hearts of readers worldwide.

“Our audience includes children, parents, grandparents, families, and the Breton speakers. Last summer in Josselin, we had a Chinese audience, Americans, and Japanese as well.”

He’d even love to see Fulpik make the jump from page to screen. “If, for example, I receive a call from Steven Spielberg asking me to adapt Fulpik into an animated film, why not? My goal with Ronan is to convey the values and culture of our country.”

www.fulpik.fr
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