Solo exhibition “His wife is a chicken”

Solo exhibition “His wife is a chicken”

“His wife is a chicken” is an animated film for adults created by director Igor Kovalyov at the Pilot Studio. It premiered in May 1990. This surreal film depicts family life: the wife is constantly busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner, and taking care of a strange pet—a caterpillar with a human head. Meanwhile, the husband operates a bus-player on a gramophone record. Suddenly, a stranger wearing a hat, coat, and mask enters the house. He tells the husband that his wife is a hen, which leads the husband to throw her out of the house. However, time shows that the husband cannot live without her and calls her to return. Upon returning, the wife sees that her husband has bird legs. Covering her face, she walks away. The plot of the cartoon is quite complex and open to various interpretations, each differing significantly from the others. 

 I decided to try creating a comic inspired by the Soviet cartoon “His Wife is a Hen”. The cartoon lasts 12 minutes, and to convey the story, I needed 70 pages of illustrations. I depicted this story in comic form to later print a small edition of the book. 

 In the end, I organized a solo exhibition at the Xavier Jouvin Gallery where I showcased the entire process of creating this comic.