An immersive curation of Geneviève Castrée’s stunning life’s work and expansive artistic legacy
It’s not easy to label an artist like Geneviève Castrée—cartoonist, illustrator, musician, sculptor, stamp collector, activist, correspondent—a person with busy hands and a mind too creative and wild to stop doing.
Those familiar with Castrée's seminal memoir about her childhood, Susceptible (included fully within), will know that she, to a large degree, raised herself. It was in those unattended, semi-feral childhood years that Geneviève used art to pull herself out of what could have otherwise been a bleak existence. Instead, she found beauty and depth around her and blended it gorgeously with the harsh, devastating realities of this world, creating a body of work that is so stunning, heartbreaking, and magical that it leaves you aching.
From rarely- or never-seen illustrations and comics, to album covers and photographs, to studio scraps, Geneviève Castrée: Complete Works 1981-2016 is a breathtaking collection of Castrée’s work and soul. A remarkable woman who made remarkable art, her love and spirit weep and shine from the pages.
With an introduction from Castrée’s widower Phil Elverum, who devoted himself to designing and curating the book, we gain further insight into the details of her life. Translations are lovingly and expertly provided by Elverum and Aleshia Jensen.

Geneviève Castrée's profile page

Geneviève Castrée (1981-2016) was born in Québec. Swept away by comics, she wanted to be a cartoonist from the age of nine onwards. Castrée felt the urge to publish her mini-comics early, appearing in the Montreal underground scene while she was still a teenager. In addition to her books, Castrée had a number of exhibitions in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Castrée spent her adult life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Phil Elverum, and their daughter, Agathe, where she drew, made small sculptures out of porcelain, and played music under the name Ô PAON.

A masterfully understated evocation of filial love and impending loss.

Montreal Gazette

Both newcomers and readers already in love with Castrée’s sui generis style will feel the vital force of her life and work.

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Sorrow and elation coexist in surprising, contrary harmony in Castrée’s work, its evocative lines, its meditative harmonies.

The Paris Review

The book is beautiful, mysterious, dreamlike as if you’re being told someone else’s secrets.

Arpad Okay, ComicsBeat

Geneviève Castrée: Complete Works 1981-2016 is indeed the whole journey for Castrée as an artist... Here we get to see it all in unparalleled form, a curation of love and veneration and sophistication.

Comics Beat

[A] breathtaking collection of Castrée's work and soul.

CBC Books

An aching clarity [is] evident in her sombre grey tones and her dexterous, serpentine lines.

Globe and Mail