PERSONAL DETAILS

Cecilie Maurud Barstad (b. 1977, Tønsberg, Norway)

Gilles Jourdan (b. 1975, Paris, France)

Founders of Gilles and Cecilie Studio in 2006 and The Travelling Drawing Club 2011.

Creating art together since they met at Central Saint Martins in 2002.

Gilles & Cecilie spent the first decade building their studio and worked with illustration, super graphics, film making, animation and mural painting. Mainly commissions, workshops and academic works. From 2016 they took a turn in their career to focus on developing their artist practice with painting, sculpture and installations. To be selected for the group exhibition Everything is Connected in Milan curated by Katrin Greiling kick-started their way back into creating self-initiated projects. 

cecilie@gillesandcecilie.com | gillesandcecilie.com | +44 7717 436 412

EDUCATION Cecilie M Barstad

2009 - 2011 Master of Business Management, Norwegian Business School, Norway.

1998 - 2001 BA Graphic Design, Central Saint Martins, London, UK.

EDUCATION Gilles Jourdan

1999 - 2002 BA Graphic Design, Central Saint Martins, London, UK.

2000 L'École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France. Received, 6 month exchange.

EXHIBITIONS

2025 The Forest, Wergeland & I, Wergelandshaugen, Eidsvoll, Norway. (group show)

2021 Flag Your Ideas, Avistegnernes Hus, Drøbak, Norway. (solo show)

2020 Fargeblyant, Grafill Gallery, Oslo, Norway. (curator)

2019 Love & Friction, Grafill Gallery, Oslo, Norway.

2017  Everything is Connected, Milan furniture fair, Milan, Italy. ( group show) 

2014 Prosessen, Grafill Gallery, Oslo, Norway.  (group show curated by Frode Skaren)

2009 Everything is in the state of FLUX, La Eriza Gallery, Madrid, Spain. (solo show)

2005 They Made me do it, Seven Dials Pop-Up Gallery, London, UK. (group show)

2004 Scène de ménage, Galleri Sjøskrenten, Kunstpause Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway. (solo show)

2004 Scène de ménage, Pop Up Gallery, Paris, France. (solo show)

2004 Scène de ménage, Seventeen Gallery Kingsland, London, UK. (solo show)

2004 Scène de ménage, Matchbox Gallery, Oslo, Norway. (solo show)

2004 They Made me do it, Dray Walk Gallery, London, UK. (group show)

2004 They Made me do it, Seventeen Gallery Kingsland, London, UK. (group show)

2002 Studio 6, Magma Bookstore Gallery, London, UK. (group show)

PUBLICATIONS

Flag of Ideas Fanzine, Exhibition catalogue, Illustrasjonsimperiet, Oct 2021

Rear Window/ Vinduet mot Bakgården, Ansten Press, Dec 2020 

The Healing Arts, The art projects at CCH, Unicorn Publishing Group, May 2019

Life In Progress, Monograph, Self publication, March 2010

SELECTED PRESS

Creative Boom, Interview, Jan 9, 2024.

D2 Magazine, Interview, April 29, 2021.

Norwegian Arts Abroad, NA Meets author and illustrator, May 25, 2021.

the AOI, Feature About Rear Window Book, March 8, 2021.

Frilanslivet, Podcast Interview, To work with your partner ep. 46 (in Norwegian), April, 2019.

Inky Goodness, Profile, G&C Share their working process, Jul 4, 2019.

PLNTY, Friksjoner - Kan hverdagsdrama bli god kommunikasjon? (in Norwegian), Oct 27, 2019.

the AOI, Industry Insights, Big steps to success, January 26, 2018.

Grafill, Interview, Couples who work together, Dec 4, 2017.

NRK Safari, Interview by Marte Spurkland, Aired Oct 26, 2004.

COLLECTIONS

Nasjonalbiblioteket, Oslo, Norway.

Paul Smith, Milan, Italy.

Works held in private collections in Brazil, USA, Norway, UK and Italy.

SELECTED COMMISSIONS

2023 Økern Portal

2022 Deichmanske Bjørvika

2021 Tjodalyng School

2021 Husfliden Lillehammer

2021 Bamble Skole

2019 Tverlandet School

2018 OBOS Ulven

2017 Red Cross 

2017 Randaberg Culture house 

2016 Oslo Design Fair

2015 Thomas Tallis School

2014 Chelsea Children Hospital

Murals in Darlington Council, several new built schools in Greenwich Council in London.

ACADEMIC WORK, WORKSHOPS & TALKS

2024 Designinstituttet, Oslo, Norway (Illustration) Guest lecturer

2023 NTNU, Trondheim, Norway (Online on Multi-disciplinary design) Guest lecturer 

2023 The Cass, London, UK (On design and illustration) Guest lecturer

2021 KHIO, Oslo, Norway (The Public) Guest lecturer 

2021 Chelsea College of Arts, London, UK (the Power of the handmade sketchbook) Guest lecturer

2020 Centre Pompidou, Paris, PopArt for members (Make your own Beaubourg) Creator and facilitator

2019 Tou Trykk, ( Bookbinding) printmaking and bookbinding workshop

2018 Vuoden Huiput Festival, Grafia ry, Helsinki, Finland, (On running a creative studio) Speaker

2018 Svenska Tecknare, Talk & Panel Member at Prata! Gothenburg, Sweden. (How to make your own success) Speaker

2018 Bergen Art Academy, Bergen, Norway. ( Why colours are so important in our work) Speaker

2017 EIF seminar Oslo, (Dream projects), Speaker

2014 Visuelt, panel Maziar Raein, Paula Scher, Eirik Seu Stokkmo and Joshua Hirsch, Panel host

Gilles & Cecilie have been teaching and holding workshops at CSM, Parsons New School, The Royal Drawing School, Einar Granum, Kabelvåg kunstskole, Høyskolen Kristiania, Westerdals, London Met, at Visuelt Festival, London Illustration Fair and for design, architecture industries.

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

2025 Everything is comic, Nothing is still, Wergelandshaugen, Eidsvoll, Norway

2022 Gå inn for, hall mural, Grafill Gallery, Oslo, Norway

2020 Fargeblyant, exhibition, Grafill Gallery, Oslo, Norway

2018 Illustrated City Bikes, curating of back wheel art show on Oslo City Bikes, OBOS, Grafill

2016 The Window Battle, Grafill 25 år Drawing Event, 25 artists to celebrate illustration 

AWARDS

2021 Årets Vakreste Bøker Silver(Rear Window Book)

2021 Visuelt Gold (Rear Window Book)

2018 AOI Awards Shortlist (Red Cross Facade)

2016 Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Good, Gold for Cyber, Silver in Film Craft + 2 Bronze (Animation for Unicef)

2016 Clio Bronze (Animation for Unicef)

2016 D&AD Wood Pencil (Animation for Unicef)

2016 Visuelt Diploma (Nissan)

2015 Visuelt Diploma (Thomas Tallis School)

2015 The Big Draw Award Gold (NADFAS Young People Award with Ravensbourne University College)

2014 Visuelt Diploma (Animations for Swims)

2014 Visuelt Diploma (Chelsea Children Hospital)

2013 Visuelt Diploma (Moleskine Impressed)

GRANTS

2024 Norsk Illustrasjonsfond (Work grant)

2023 Grafill (The Travelling Drawing Club)

2021 Fritt Ord (Flag Your Ideas)

2021 Norsk Illustrasjonsfond (Flag Your Ideas)

2021 Grafill (Flag Your Ideas)

2021 Norsk Illustrasjonsfond (Rear Window Book)

2018 Grafill (Love & Friction Exhibition)

2018 Grafill (Fargeblyant Exhibition)

2011 Grafill (The Travelling Drawing Club)

RESIDENCIES

2025 Wergelandshaugen, January to March, Eidsvoll, Norway.

2022 The Grez-sur-Loing Foundation, 16 to 31 March, France.

2017 Tungenes Fyr, May to September, Norway.

AGENTS/ REPRESENTATION

2 Agenten, Berlin, Germany.

Animasjonsdepartementet, Oslo, Norway.

Galeria Philia, Geneve, Switzerland.

Novooi/ Oslo Supermarked, Oslo, Norway.

STOCKIST FOR REAR WINDOW BOOK

Royal Academy Shop London

Astrup Fearnley Museum

Architect Museum

Avistegnernes Hus

Munch Museum

Nylund Larsen

Tronsmo Bookstore

Galleri Briskeby

Bastard Books

MEMBERSHIPS

Grafill, Tegnerforbundet, Norske Billedkunstnere, the AOI

BOARD & COMMITTEE MEMBER

Cecilie, board member Grafill from 2021 - 

Cecilie, board member EIF from 2022 -

Cecilie, committee member for European Design Festival, Oslo, 2018