Jocelyn Charles, “Gif for Fun,” in collaboration with Remembers Studio.
Courtesy of the artist
An illustrated rainbow
Art
Experimental
Animation
The French artist Jocelyn Charles invites us to explore his work, infused with color, expressiveness, and movement.
author
Luciana Trost
Date
April 1, 2026
Share
Jocelyn Charles, Cover for Kiblind Magazine, 2023.
Courtesy of the artist
A world with a broad palette of colors—eclectic, humorous, and disruptive, yet also classical and innovative—unfolds as one looks through Jocelyn Charles’s work. There is no way to confine this artist to a single category or aesthetic style. His creativity is eclectic and goes beyond any label we might try to assign to him. From sketches of human figures, barely suggested in their contours or defined only through subtle strokes, to illustrations or animated clips that burst onto our retina through color and grace, with movements that are both caricatured and solemn, and that clearly attempt to communicate something.
Jocelyn Charles, “Gif for Fun,” in collaboration with Remembers Studio.
Courtesy of the artist
Jocelyn Charles, Untitled, 2023. Courtesy of the artist
Jocelyn Charles, Untitled, 2024. Courtesy of the artist
Frames from Déjeuner sur l’herbe (animated short film, 2019), by Jocelyn Charles.
Frames from Déjeuner sur l’herbe (animated short film, 2019), by Jocelyn Charles.
As we try to decode the message Charles seeks to convey, the sheer aesthetic appearance dazzles us. “Figures?” with human and animal forms emerge from a bathroom sink drain, then run and tumble toward what appears to be a small toy house in a room.
A clown sits at the end of a table, surrounded by both animal and human diners, while in the background countless couples break into fights. A man sits and stares at his computer monitor with an absorbed expression, in a spotless office that could be placed within a retro-futuristic—and perhaps slightly nihilistic—setting.
Posters from God Is Shy (Dieu est timide), an animated short film (2025), by Jocelyn Charles.
His work draws a very diverse audience. It can appeal to viewers with a taste for classical, traditional art, as seen in his studies of the human figure, while also attracting a more innovative audience and those working in digital media and even film. Evidence of this includes the animated short film God Is Shy (Dieu est timide), released last October, whose premise points to the manifestation of the deepest fears we can have as human beings, combining disturbing narratives with dreamlike, colorful environments. Likewise, in 2022, he directed the video “How Do I Make You Love Me?” for the renowned band The Weeknd, where imagery aligned with body horror is made explicit alongside scenes of humor.
For those entering Jocelyn Charles’s universe for the first time, we can assure a deeply rewarding experience that, much like a journey, allows each work to be discovered as a unique and unrepeatable landscape, and, why not, a deeply inspiring one as well.
Share
