Tell us about you.I'm a Belgian visual creator (photography, drawing, painting). I was born in Ivory Coast and currently live and work in
Brussels. I have a degree in journalism but never really worked in that field. I briefly studied graphic arts and sculpture but I'm mainly a self-taught artist. My creations are being exhibited in
art galleries in Belgium and in the United States.
I’ve recently developed two series that have had a good reception in the art community: "
Pencil Vs Camera" and "
Digital Circlism". The first is a combination of
drawing and
photography, the second a digital way of making images with thousands of flat circles. Graphic creation is a true passion, one of the reasons and meanings of my existence.
.How did you become an artist? What's the story?For me, it’s a lifetime commitment, a second nature, something I’m not even conscious of. There wasn’t any specific day or year I decided to become or to live as an "artist". It is a slow, difficult and long progression. I’ve been drawing and painting for as far as I can remember. I always knew I would be creating and inventing new things with simple tools, I didn’t know at first what would be these instruments, nor did I know the subjects I would choose and how I would manage to achieve my personal goals but I just knew it would happen. Many gorgeous persons and situations around me have influenced me in a positive way too.
.What do you think about social networking?It’s obviously a great invention. It brings lots of interactivity and friendly atmosphere in the virtual world. It can also be time consuming and a big illusion when people forget reality, real friends, and real life.
.Where do you get inspirations from?Things happening in my daily life are a big stimulation for me. I think sources of inspiration are everywhere; most people just don’t want to see them or they perceive and interpret them differently. Ideas often come to my mind at random moments.
.Do you see yourself still be as passionate as today about being an artist in the next five to ten years?I hope so! What I can say is that I’m not passionate about what I am, I’m passionate about what I’m making and the constructive effects my actions can have in the society we live in. I think any artist’s ambition should be to feed people’s imagination and become a mirror of our contemporary civilization. I know that I will have to constantly find and use fresh inventiveness in the future to not get stuck and bored with what I do right now. This is the real challenge for me. I want to be surprised by my own work and I want to surprise others too.
.What do you do when you have creative blocks?When it happens, I become really mad and angry, I have the feeling to be unfairly punished. I focus on something a bit less exciting when I’m really blocked. Fortunately it happens very rarely!
.Whom do you consider to be your professional role model? Why do you consider this person to be so special?I can’t name only one person, as it would be unjust for all the men and women I admire so much. The extraordinary life of many individuals, their respective oeuvre and visions have been an endless source of energy for me. Thinking about how hard it has been for them to shine in their field and to improve the conditions of others helps me to overcome the complexity of life and to find it thrilling every new day.
.Tell us about your most embarrassing moment and what lesson did you learn from it?I tend to quickly forget that kind of moments… I think about tomorrow.
.What do you think about the Internet and how it is affecting our lifestyle?I believe the Internet changed every aspect of our modern life (at least for the people using it), it modified our perception of the world we live in. Our brains and mentality are being more and more associated and connected to computers in general. I’m certain this is only the beginning, technology has no boundaries and will go much further.
.Where do you see the industry going?What industry exactly, the arts industry? That’s something huge. I’m part of it but there are so many commercial aspects… I don’t control any of them. What I’m sure is that it will certainly be a surprising and unpredicted evolution as it has always been since the commencement, which is something interesting. Our world is really scary and crazy with unexpected events and incoherent responses; there are many problems and injustices happening every minute. I wish artists with their sensitivity will find a way to express this and make other people be aware of humanity’s illnesses, hopefully bringing optimism and suggesting serious solutions.
.What are you doing to stay on top of these changes and how do you keep your work fresh?Unfortunately, it’s impossible to be informed of everything happening nowadays… You just have to accept to ignore a lot of things and do your best to stand out in your specialty.
.Name 3 of your favorite art books.- “
The Graphic Work of René Magritte” (Kaplan, Gilbert E.)
- “
Theories of Art Today” (Noel Carroll)
- “
Knowledge in Perception and Illusion” (Gregory Richard)
.Do you have anyone/company you would like to collaborate/work together?Walt Disney studios
.Do you procrastinate? What is your opinion about it?I’m not sure whether I’m a procrastinator or not, the thing is that what I consider important may be completely insignificant for most people, so they might think I have some big psychological disorders, lol. My main priorities are my artistic projects and everything surrounding the people I care for. I’m putting a lot of time and energy to achieve any goals related to these specific interests. I have the bad habit to postpone everything else… especially when I find it boring and useless. It helps me to instinctively do things that really matter to me.
.Name 3 tools (or softwares) that you use the most, and tell us the function for each of them.Camera: capture images
Pencil/brush & paper/canvas: create images
Photoshop: edit and create images
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Something We Like" is an Art and Design platform intending to become a resource site by providing useful articles, tips and insights from professionals around the world. Their leitmotiv: "Empowering Creativity!"
