Annual European Languages Lecture 2025

Join us for an enlightening lecture by acclaimed French-Vietnamese graphic novelist and illustrator, Clément Baloup. Renowned for his compelling works that delve into themes of immigration, memory and memorial transmission, Baloup brings a unique perspective to the art of storytelling as enacted through the mobilisation of both image and word. 

The son of a Vietnamese father and a French mother, Baloup is best known for his very personal Mémoires de Viet Kieu (Vietnamese Memories) series, which portrays the experiences of the Vietnamese diaspora offering profound insights into their journeys across various national spaces including Vietnam, France, Kanaky-New Caledonia and, most recently, Australia. His dedication to capturing the often underacknowledged (hi)stories of the Vietnamese diaspora has earned him several accolades, including the Jury’s Choice Prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival and the Doctors Without Borders Prize.

 In this lecture, Baloup will speak about his career as a visual artist, the specific work involved with transcribing the testimonies of the Vietnamese diaspora into comic book form, and the repercussions and implications of the public dissemination of these same stories. This lecture will appeal to anyone with an interest in visual storytelling and in the representation of cultural identities more broadly.

Event Schedule

• 5:30 PM – Guest Arrival & Welcome Drinks

• 5:45 – 6:00 PM – Opening Remarks by Madame Paule Ignatio, Consule générale de France à Melbourne

• 6:00 – 7:00 PM – Lecture & Q&A Session

• 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Canapés & Networking Drinks

Biography

Clément Baloup (b. 1978), son of a French mother and Vietnamese father, grew up in Europe, Polynesia, and South America. A graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Angoulême, he is the author and illustrator of the acclaimed Vietnamese Memories series and has collaborated with writers such as Goncourt Prize laureate Alexis Jenni. His work earned the Jury’s Choice Prize at the 2011 Angoulême International Comics Festival. Exhibited internationally, his art and teaching have taken him across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. He lives in Marseille, France.

 FB : Clément Baloup ; Insta : clementbaloup

The lecture will commence at 6pm followed by drinks and nibbles.