Having studied art history and archaeology, Max Robenson Vilaire Dortilus took a masters course in social and cultural entrepreneurship, specialising in artist management, at the Université Lumière Lyon II. He has considerable experience in cultural mediation, artist management, exhibition and gallery management, and also in teaching. In 2016 he founded, with Francisco Silva and Patrick Edouarzin, the organisation Culture en 3 Dimensions, which encourages and supports the social inclusion of artists, marginalised young people and groups through artistic and cultural projects and through training in visual arts and literature. The organisation’s slogan is ‘Culture for social development’, and it has developed a range of cultural outreach activities at festivals, workshops and exhibitions.

In 2018, Max Dortilus spent a month as artist in residence with the organisation Les Amis de l'Esparrou, during which he created comic books for children and teenagers illustrating six traditional Haitian fables (the tales of Bouqui, Malice, the Contes d’animaux and the Contes de Loup-Garou). In 2019, the Odyssée programme enabled him to take up a residency where he translated these cartoons (Ti-Jean, Maitresse d’eau, Bradodidoday Krabinay, Un seul, Brise Montagne, Zaza) from Creole into French. He was also able to present his work to the public, especially at the Chartreuse de Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, and to introduce teens and pre-teens to certain themes such as childhood and reading, childhood and abuse, environmental protection, physical appearance, marriage, and sexual harassment. Through an exhibition of his storyboards, a guided tour, animation games and traditional Haitian songs, and a storytelling workshop, Max Dortilus seeks to disseminate the values he supports.

In the press:

AlterPresse (August 2012)

Le Nouvelliste (November 2006)