Henri Michaux

Henri Michaux is a Belgian poet naturalized French.

In 1919, he abandoned his medical studies to become a sailor, and then worked in various jobs. He then discovered the work of Lautréamont, which inspired him to write.

In 1924 he moved to Paris and published “Qui je fus”. He then made many trips to Asia and South America. During a trip to India, he discovered the effects of magic, which he assimilated to the process of literary creation. For Michaux, literature is not a representation of his fantasies or a simple entertainment, but a real lived experience.

He also works with drawing, which seems to him to be more liberating, without the obstacle of words loaded with content that distorts the meaning they should have. But in order to reach the integral exploration of his “properties” (the spaces inside) and to try to get rid, as much as possible, of the constraints of the outside, he uses drugs. He realizes that this process is only a miserable miracle and gives up his attempts. Until the end, Michaux will tirelessly pursue the search for a balance that is not established at the cost of self-denial.

One of his most famous quotes is: “One day I will tear off the anchor that holds my ship away from the sea”.