Before we get into your work, can you just tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born in Paris, France. I studied graphic design and illustration at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris until 2008. In 2006, I did a one-year Erasmus exchange at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee. It was an amazing year. In 2012, I moved to Berlin, which had always attracted me. Living in Paris seemed very difficult for a young artist. In Berlin, I was able to quickly find a place to live and a studio where I could continue my personal work. Today, my two daughters, aged 4 and 7, were born here. Authentic Berliners who represent an interesting mix of French and German cultures.
We are curious about your past and your style. When did you get started with art, what are your preferred topics and how would you describe your style?
My parents, as enthusiasts, always had a wonderful collection of classic Franco-Belgian comic books—Tintin, etc. As a child, I started by reading and rereading them countless times until I almost knew them by heart. From there, I discovered other, more alternative, more adult comics, graphic novels that were more experimental, introspective, and radical (Moebius, Hugo Pratt, Jodorowsky, Crumb...). So, I began my journey in art by creating my own comics, drawing my own stories. I feel like I've always been drawing since I was a kid. It's a natural way for me to express myself. As a child, I would depict my family's life in cartoons, which greatly amused my father. In school, during class, I would fill the margins of my notebooks with little characters and scenes of my own invention, using a ballpoint pen.
My favorite subjects are dreams, the unconscious, water, and mythologies. Our ability to dream, to invent other worlds, in contrast to a "modern" universe. Nature and its chaos confront a world made of grids, straight lines, roads, and buildings with orthogonal lines. I also enjoy creating portraits and inventing stories. Each drawing is an opportunity for me to create a small world, a scenario, or an encounter. I always wonder what will emerge from the pen.
My style is figurative and narrative, tending towards abstraction and the simplification of lines. I mainly draw with a ballpoint pen, which allows me to create different textures and lines. This ranges from pure, straight lines drawn with a ruler to very dense crosshatches that generate darkness and depth.
To be part of our project, we asked each artist to address certain topics in their designs that we should all think about more often. Can you briefly explain what your designs are about and what message you want to convey with your designs for maezen.
Last question, is there one thing which is important to you that you would like to share with our community?
I would simply like to share with as many people as possible the joy of drawing and creation. It has always been a great source of happiness and well-being for me. It's also a refuge during difficult times. Art is an incredible, alchemical process that transforms and elevates negative and sad emotions into positive creations. Art will always be there to help me dream and express the possibility of another world. For that, all it takes is a simple ballpoint pen and a piece of paper.
