Maison des Genêts — Une toile grandeur nature

A composition inspired by Art Nouveau

It was no longer simply a matter of painting a mural, but of seeing the wall as a giant canvas. At 12 metres wide and 5 metres high, the surface almost became a subject in its own right, inviting me to express myself freely, as I would in the studio with brushes in hand.

With this mindset, the idea of a composition inspired by Art Nouveau gradually took shape.

This artistic movement, which I particularly love, often features a central figure, whether a woman or an animal, surrounded by floral compositions with flowing lines and delicate patterns.

At the time, the kingfisher, with its blue and orange plumage, played an important part in my painting. It was a bird I painted regularly, so it was a natural choice as the main subject of this mural.

For the flowers surrounding it, I chose not to focus on particular species, but on the diversity of their shapes, colours and sizes, playing with them to bring energy, volume and depth to the composition.

To bring everything together, I imagined an abstract background reminiscent of a wash, a painting technique based on pigments diluted in water. This approach was intended to strengthen the impression of a canvas painting on a large scale.

A collaboration with Aurélie Damon

As I developed this idea, I decided to invite a visual artist whose work I particularly admire: Aurélie Damon.

Aurélie builds her paintings through successive layers of colour and plays on transparency, giving her compositions exactly the depth and atmosphere I was seeking for this mural’s background.

For two days, we worked on it together, imagining a forest landscape reflected on the surface of a lake.

Working in successive layers, from lightly diluted paint to increasingly diluted washes, we achieved a consistent finish across the whole wall before turning to the other elements of the composition, particularly the flowers and mosaics.

Young people’s participation

For this new project, I also wanted the young people working with me to explore artistic practices beyond spray painting.

Creating the mosaics was a wonderful opportunity to do so. Painted entirely with brushes, they required time, precision and care, giving participants the chance to engage in more detailed painting work.

These mosaics, conceived and drawn beforehand on a graphics tablet, are original designs created specifically for this mural. They strengthen its Art Nouveau-inspired aesthetic.

The mural took a week to complete, a real challenge both in terms of the painting itself and the time available.

The project on film

During the work, I also invited filmmaker Khris Movie to tell the story of the project and document its different stages.

Using his drone and cameras, Khris captured the highlights of this adventure and conveyed the essence of the project through his images. A huge thank you to him for this work!

Thank you

Once again, I would like to thank the town of Villeneuve-d’Ascq for its trust, and all the young people from the Maison des Genêts for their commitment and participation in this wonderful collective adventure.

A huge thank you also to the neighbourhood’s residents for their curiosity, generosity and the many conversations we shared throughout the week.

This mural is yours!

In the press

Read the article in La Voix du Nord