The French illustrator participates in 'OMG! Watch your step' with an abstract proposal and a tailor-made exhibition
Perrine Honoré has brought her art to the OMG BCN staircase. She also shares her experience as a muralist, the double meaning sometimes present in her work, and talks about color and the OMG! Watch your step project.
Perrine has made the exhibition area look so beautiful.
Tell us about your experience in the store.
Estela had told me about the project, and I liked the idea of being able to do something on the staircase, since it's such a prominent feature. I saw the previous exhibition; what she did was really cool. Eloizaga And its colors inspired me. I am a designer, illustrator And I'm a muralist; sometimes I do very detailed drawings, and other times things that are more abstract and closer to patterns or prints. This time I wanted to do something very abstract. First, I designed the staircase, and from there I created the prints that are on the wall. It's something very exclusive; I used a very vibrant blue similar to the one in the store… It's a mini art direction.
You started studying fashion in Sweden, then discovered illustration in Paris, and later urban art in Barcelona. What a journey!
I studied fashion design in Sweden, but I realized it wasn't for me, mainly because of the atmosphere surrounding the fashion industry, so I returned to Paris and did a preparatory year to get into the top art schools. I enrolled in a school of applied arts and there I discovered illustration. We drew a lot, and they placed great importance on everything handmade, on imagination, and I began to find my path. Illustration is what moved me most; it offers a lot of freedom of expression and is applicable to so many things. Then I came to Barcelona to do a more theoretical master's degree, and from there I discovered urban art and started my career as a freelance illustrator.
Do you combine commissions with personal projects, do you do a bit of everything by choice or by obligation?
As time has gone on, various opportunities have come my way, and I've sought them out, doing a bit of everything: communication campaigns, murals for private, cultural, and social settings… and collaborations with brands. Illustration has no limits; the possibilities are endless. I like this, being able to be interdisciplinary. If you suggest something I've never done before, I'll say yes, because I find it interesting to try, explore, and learn, but perhaps some people have to do it by default, out of obligation. In general, if you're creative, you like to try things. Last year, I did a children's activity book with Coco Books. I had never worked in the publishing world before, beyond doing a few covers, and creating a book from start to finish was really cool, although it was also challenging.
Perrine working, Perrine contemplating.
Tell us about your work as a muralist. What do you like about the discipline?
Initially, what caught my attention was the whole body involved and being so immersed in the artwork. The gesture is so different from painting on a small scale; you're almost dancing with the brush! It's very physical. And there's another aspect that also won me over: the social and accessible side of art, because when you create in the street, people can enjoy the whole process and in the end, they keep the piece. I've often done participatory murals where you work on a concept, paint, and create a social connection. I think it's a tool that democratizes art, although urban art does have its debates, its pros and cons.
What was the last mural and what will the next one be?
I did one in Haro in October. The next one is still up in the air, but I don't want to stop making murals.
And do you still have the mural you painted in your house during lockdown?
Yes, the mural is at home. Tell me to paint it white when we move out! I painted it thinking I might get tired of it, so I put it in the entryway. It's pretty cool; it's welcoming, it makes people feel welcome, it's so colorful.
Part of the wonderful sculptures created for the Be Flexible! exhibition
Your project at OMG BCN coincides with your second solo exhibition.
These projects are fantastic because they allow me to explore and develop something more personal. I do a lot of commissioned work, but sometimes having a space and free rein, and being able to do pretty much whatever you want, is really appreciated. The exhibition at ImaginCafé is my second solo show, and I'm thrilled. Since I have this versatile style, I wanted to exhibit a variety of things: there are ceramics, canvases, altered canvases with glued objects and textures, and then laser-cut pieces.
Is color the common thread in your work?
It's the central point of everything; color palettes are what I enjoy working with most, and then I try to make my work reflect life, movement, dynamism, fun… but sometimes I address dark themes, even if it's through a very cheerful visual style, and that's the key. I like to talk about difficult subjects through a captivating initial image. I did a mural that dealt with the end of the world due to the ecosystem, with many animals, flames burning nature; a revisited Noah's Ark. And when people had to say what they saw, few got it right.
Long live vegetables! The carrot leads the way.
Do you draw, sketch, or work digitally?
Ever since I was a student, I've sketched my ideas out on paper with a pencil. Once I have something I like, I develop it on the computer because it allows me to easily change colors and lets the client visualize the project I want to create. The digital aspect is that it's immediate. I do a lot of digital work for clients; you paint the mural live, and I love that too.
You were talking about new adventures, any pending projects?
I'd love to have a clothing line with my prints. A whole collection developed with my ideas. But either you do it with a brand that approaches you, or you have to handle the entire production and distribution chain yourself—that's a whole different story. It's something I'd like to develop in the future.
