Page 4 - Livre S. Kristol 16JUIN2025

4
THE BIRTH
OF A UNIVERSE
THIS IS THE QUESTION I’M ASKED MOST OFTEN: “WHY A TIGER?”.
And every time, I understand the question—but I also feel the need to explain that what you see isn’t a tiger.
Yes, originally, I was inspired by the white tiger—its physique, its presence, its charisma. But very quickly, I moved away from that. Because what I created is a character in its own right, one that doesn’t exist in any zoo or nature documen- tary. It’s a figure born from my imagination, a being that carries my universe.
I’ve never been passionate about animals. What truly excites me is invention, storytelling, the energy of a world I’ve built around him. He is my starting point, my creative en- gine. He’s the one who made me want to create a world—a world that’s often industrial, raw, sometimes cold in its settings, but into which I bring warmth, kindness, and touches of childhood.
My character isn’t an animal. He’s an alter ego, a familiar presence, almost a companion. He moves through landscapes that speak of journeys, contrasts, and transformation. He car- ries a simple message: you can belong to a harsh world and still remain tender.
As I often say to visitors: “You can love Mickey without lo- ving mice.”
So no, it’s not a tiger. It’s Paschat.
There are questions we can’t always answer. When I created this character—the one who would give birth to my entire universe—I was only 12 years old. And at that age, you don’t think like an adult. You don’t try to analyze everything or justify every choice. The creation was instinctive, almost unconscious. Paschat was simply born.
He was somewhere in a corner of my mind, and one day, naturally, he took shape.
I couldn’t say why I drew him. I didn’t yet know I was going to build an entire world around him. But I know today that this character has become much more than a drawing.
It’s not a self-portrait. And yet, many people tell me: “We recognize you through him.” Maybe a little bit physically, but above all... something internal.
And it’s true that over time, my personal story has in- tertwined with his, and as you’ll discover later in this book, my character’s journey often crosses paths with my own life.