It's always a very difficult question to describe one's own style, a bit like asking "who are you?", a vast question! I think part of an artist's style is linked to the techniques they use and the themes they explore. For me, I mainly work with gouache, with vibrant and deep color blocks. The basis of my work is above all that of color. The themes I like to illustrate are often linked to nature, with many flowers and animals, while integrating in my creations details that invite viewers to explore and imagine.

I find inspiration everywhere around me! Often during walks in nature, but I am also greatly inspired by other artists, of course, and by art in general. It could come from museum visits, exhibitions, but also books, movies, comics, design... The hardest part is processing and expressing the inspiration you’ve drawn in a truly personal way. 

I start every single day without exception by going outside for some fresh air while walking my dog, then having tea and writing out my to-do list. 

The best days are when I have only creative tasks, and in that case, I sit down at my drawing table at home, get out my brushes, and I must admit, once I start, I lose track of time a little! 

I am very sensitive to craftsmanship and objects in general, I have studied ceramics, embroidery and jewelry and I think it has sharpened my eye and my requirements in this matter. Seeing the quality of Hanoia's objects, all handcrafted, was a unique opportunity for me, so I was very happy and honored. As an illustrator I mostly work on paper and being able to imagine my illustrations on lacquer objects I find it even more inspiring, because it's a change from my daily routine. This collaboration and this mix of know-how brings me a lot because alone I would never have had the tools and the technique necessary to create a collection like we did. 

For me, lacquer immediately evokes the luxurious and ancient craftsmanship of countries like Japan, China, or Vietnam. It is also a source of inspiration for patterns, colors, and the combination of different materials, for example I really like lacquers that incorporate mother-of-pearl. I admit that I have very few lacquer objects in my daily life, but nevertheless I have no difficulty imagining that it could be for decoration or more utilitarian objects like boxes, or even screens! 

Nature inspires me a lot and remains one of my main sources of inspiration and drawing flowers is one of my favorite things to do! At first the product line was supposed to have fewer objects, but I was so excited that I proposed more sketches with several variations, and we said to ourselves that it was a shame not to use them all, so we expanded the collaboration to create the atmosphere of a large garden! 

When I was told that the collection would be on the theme of the orchid, I loved this idea. In addition to being the symbolic flower of Vietnam, it is one of the flowers that has the most species, more than 25,000, and the idea behind all this is to show how beautiful and diverse nature is.

I think that the character of Hanoia, combined with my illustrations, has created something truly unique that I couldn't have achieved on my own. The diversity of the results is what makes it so rich and rewarding. And I must say again, I'm absolutely delighted with how it turned out!

The biggest challenge for me was working within a limited color palette. For technical and graphic coherence reasons, we chose to limit our palette to 13 colors. While that may seem like a lot, it was a significant constraint for me as I'm usually freer with my color choices. However, I believe it ultimately contributed to the overall harmony and aesthetic of the collection.