Jacques Tilly
Jacques Tilly (born 27 June 1963) is a German sculptor and illustrator, known for his politically satirical sculptures that adorn floats in protests and parades, and is considered the premier carnival float designer in Germany.
Jacques Tilly
Ricarda Hinz · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Jacques Tilly
- Born
- 27 June 1963
- Birthplace
- Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany (now Germany)
- Spouse
- Ricarda Hinz
- Education
- University of Duisburg-Essen
- Nationality
- Germany
- Occupation
- sculptor · illustrator · graphic designer · critic of religions · media designer · entrepreneur
- Teachers
- Coordt von Mannstein
- Languages
- German
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Documentary summary
Jacques Tilly (born 27 June 1963) is a German sculptor and illustrator, known for his politically satirical sculptures that adorn floats in protests and parades, and is considered the premier carnival float designer in Germany.
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Note VALÉORINE
Jacques Tilly (born 1963) is a critic of religions, entrepreneur and graphic designer, among other activities, of German nationality. The critic of religions was born in Düsseldorf.
Jacques Tilly was educated at University of Essen. The critic of religions is a member of Giordano Bruno Foundation and lived in Oberkassel. Languages used include German.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q1660745 · wikipedia · Jacques Tilly
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jacques Tilly • Born — 27 June 1963 • Birthplace — Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany (now Germany) • Spouse — Ricarda Hinz • Education — University of Duisburg-Essen
Early life
Early life
Jacques Tilly was born in 1963 in Düsseldorf, and attended the Comenius-Gymnasium high school. He studied graphic design at the University of Duisburg-Essen, graduating in 1994. Tilly is an atheist and a humanist, and is an advisory member of the Giordano Bruno Foundation.
Artistic career
Artistic career
• Illustration — Jacques Tilly's sculpture of the Three wise monkeys one year after the 2021 flood in Germany in the Ahr Valley. • Illustration — A Tilly sculpture of Vladimir Putin, commemorating the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The inscription reads: "Choke on it!!!". Tilly is known for his papier-mâché sculptures that are featured on parade floats, most notably those in Rosenmontag, during Carnival in Düsseldorf, for which he has made sculptures since 1983. The sculptures often have overt political messaging to them, and frequently include caricatured depictions of politicians, world leaders, and religious figures, especially those on the far-right. These themes gained increased attention during the late 2010s, with some of Tilly's sculptures featuring U.S. President Donald Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Other topics of note include Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to German parades and festivals, the sculptures have also appeared at protests and political events abroad, including one in front of the House of Parliament in London. Tilly is also an illustrator, and has designed official postcards, calendars, and portraits for several German cities. In 2025 Tilly was sued by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he had portrayed in various works. According to the Basmanny District court website, the artist is accused of "Defamation of the Russian army". Tilly was found guilty in March 2026 by a Moscow court and sentenced in absentia to 8 years and 6 month in prison, a Euro 20,000 fine and a 4 year prohibition of activity.
Identity
Identity
Jacques Tilly is recorded as sculptor, illustrator, graphic designer, critic of religions and media designer.
Porträt von Jacques Tilly
Jacques Tilly · Urheber
Sculpture by Jacques Tilly of the Three wise monkeys one year after the devastating 2021 Flood in Germany, seen at Mayschoß in the Ahr Valley on July 16, 2022. The three monkeys stand for the ignorance of politics, bureaucracy and insurances.
Palauenc05
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1963
Jacques Tilly born at Düsseldorf.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Oberkassel
Residences
Düsseldorf.
Birth place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1660745: Jacques Tilly
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Jacques Tilly”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Eheschließung in Düsseldorf: Jacques Tilly und Ricarda Hinz haben geheiratet. Rheinische Post. 2017-10-16.
- 2.Germany ekes some fun out of a quiet Carnival. Associated Press. 15 February 2021.
- 3.Crossland, David. My mission: to make Germans funny, says Düsseldorf carnival designer. The Times. 21 February 2020. 0140-0460.
- 4.Jacques Tilly: Wagen sind "Wundsalbe gegen Phantomschmerzen". Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- 5.Entwürfe für 27 Städte: Bonn-Postkarte von Künstler Jacques Tilly wird im Bahnhof verteilt. General-Anzeiger. 21 May 2021.
- 6.Comenius-Gymnasium. Das Comenius Stellt Sich Vor. 12.
- 7.Tilly, Jacques. Giordano Bruno Foundation.
- 8.Atheist Jacques Tilly ausnahmsweise in der Kirche – wo ihm die Leo Statz-Plakette verliehen wurde. bild.de.
- 9.Smale, Alison. Germans Eager to See Whose Parade a Carnival Float Will Rain On. The New York Times. 2016-02-02. 0362-4331.
- 10.Karneval: satirical floats in Rhine region ready to make Rose Monday parade debut. The Local Germany. 2018-02-12.
- 11.Groß, Tabitha. 'It caused a real shitstorm': meet the man who skewered Trump at last year's Karneval. The Local. 9 February 2018.
- 12.Wetli, Patty. Artist's Fierce Floats Earn Death Threats, And He's Here For German Parade. DNAinfo. 7 September 2017.
- 13.Bodenstein, Gisa. Rosenmontag im Lockdown: Düsseldorf zeigte acht Mottowagen von Jacques Tilly. Der Humanistische Pressedienst. 16 February 2021.
- 14.Goodman, Adam. Goodman: Americans should look in the mirror before mocking United Kingdom. Tampa Bay Times. 5 April 2019.
- 15.Trapp, Roderich. Spektakuläres Wimmelbild: Jacques Tilly zeichnet Wuppertal. Wuppertaler Rundschau. 8 February 2021.
- 16.Magoley, Nina. Russland verklagt Jacques Tilly: Welche Taktik dahinter steckt. WDR.de. 18 December 2025.
- 17.Russland verklagt Jacques Tilly: Welche Taktik dahinter steckt. welt.de. 2 April 2026.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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