Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985) was a French painter, sculptor and theorist whose work challenged conventional ideas of artistic beauty and cultural authority. Rejecting academic traditions, he drew inspiration from children's drawings, graffiti, folk art and the creative expressions of self-taught artists. In the 1940s, he coined the term Art Brut (“raw art”) to describe works created outside established cultural institutions, championing forms of expression that he saw as more authentic and direct. Working across painting, sculpture, drawing and printmaking, Dubuffet developed a distinctive visual language characterized by rough surfaces, unconventional materials and playful, often irreverent imagery. His influence reshaped postwar art, inspiring generations of artists to embrace experimentation and expand definitions of who can make art and what art can be. Today, he is recognized as one of the most important and innovative artists of the 20th century.