As the master surrealist Charles Billich approaches his 91st birthday on September 6, he shows no sign of retiring his paintbrush anytime soon and continues to create some of his finest works, which will soon be on display at a highly anticipated new exhibition in France that will open on September 5, 2025, the eve of birthday.

There is no stopping the bombastic Billich; he recently jetted off to Croatia to attend the world-record-breaking Thompson concert event. At the culmination of this spectacular concert on July 5, renowned film producer Steve Ravić and the Majestic Film entourage escorted Billich onto the stage for the unveiling of a breathtaking 1.6-meter-high painting of Marko Perković Thompson, presented directly to the singer himself in front of the staggering audience of 504,000 people.

In the week following the historic concert, Billich landed in Paris, where he attended the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the OLYMP’ARTS Founding Charter at UNESCO as a very special guest and also participated as a delegate representing Australia. At the esteemed event, Billich was honoured by UNESCO for his lifelong dedication to celebrating global culture through the Olympic Games. This was yet another high-profile feat that testifies his significance as the most esteemed living artist in the world.

Putting things into perspective, there is no shortage of prestige associated with Billich, and no living artist can even come close to the remarkable level of notoriety he enjoys.

The better question is, what hasn’t he achieved in his illustrious career? The Croatian-born Australian citizen, Billich, has served as the official artist for everything from the Olympic Games to the Nobel Prize for Peace and the Red Cross. His extraordinary paintings have adorned the walls of the Vatican, the White House, and the United Nations headquarters in Switzerland, where his monumental work celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for Peace, titled “Humanity United,” also hangs permanently.

Despite being 90 years of age, the living master of surrealism continues to create astonishing masterpieces, striving to deliver more with each passing day.

Billich stated, “At my age, every day is a gift,” and it’s a gift that keeps on giving for art admirers worldwide. The only evident disappointment he expresses himself is what he considers a lack of acknowledgment from the place of his birth, Lovran, in Croatia. The upcoming 2025 feature documentary film by Steve Ravić, titled ‘Billich 90,’ highlights these frustrations and exposes the most significant art heist of modern times committed against Billich and the Billich Gallery.

In the Australian Senate at Parliament House in Canberra, Senator Hollie Hughes referred to the Municipality of Lovran and Mayor Simonič, when stating that “this situation continues to echo the shameful treatment that Charles Billich has endured for over the 15 years he has tried to resolve the matter.”

Nonetheless, an emotional Billich recently remarked that “this sad affair is their loss,” as his artistic contributions continue to be celebrated and embraced worldwide. “I’m very grateful to Senator Hollie because she aired a subject that was very close to my heart: my collection of paintings. Pinched. Stolen. The Lovran local government is really at the core of the whole problem.”

‘Billich 90’ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and will be released later this year after a series of international screenings soon to be announced.

The immersive exhibition “Charles Billich: Odyssée Utopique” (Utopian Odyssey) will host a celebratory opening on Friday September 5 from 7 PM at the Médiathèque de La Garenne-Colombes, 20/22 rue de Châteaudun, 92250, starring Billich himself, showcasing his masterpieces for the very first time in Paris.

The “Utopian Odyssey” invites you to dive into a world where bodies merge with architecture, where utopia takes shape through powerful, visionary, and profoundly human works.

This remarkable artistic journey, built from dreams, resilience, and greatness, promises to deliver a captivating array of exceptional and unique works from throughout the illustrious career of Charles Billich.

The exhibition will be held at two locations until September 28. The Epidemick Gallery France will host recent and unpublished contemporary gems, open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 AM to 7 PM at 26 rue Gabriel Péri, 92250 La Garenne-Colombes.

The Médiathèque de La Garenne-Colombes will showcase retrospective works, covering key moments from an extraordinary career and sketches at 20/22 rue de Châteaudun, 92250 La Garenne-Colombes, on Tuesday from 3 PM to 7:30 PM, Wednesday from 10 AM to 6:30 PM, Thursday and Friday from 3 PM to 6:30 PM, Saturday from 10 AM to 6:30 PM, and Sunday from 10 AM to 1 PM.

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