Left: ”Canopée”, oil painting on bamboo paper. Right: Léa Morichon x Louise Misha collaboration
Art by Léa Morichon
Canopée, spare and abstract in the use of colour and form, but with blue strokes of colour pulsing outward. Méditerranée, with the colourful, playful and flowery framing of the delicate simple line drawing of the two portraits, conveying emotion and serenity and bringing a warm summer light and a hint of fresh summer breeze. Or the vibrating Série rose oil on linen paintings… Each piece holds true to Léa Morichon’s vision as an artist, in that it expresses interior tranquility, a temporality, a present-mindedness and meditative energy that are flowing in her art.
Léa’s creative collaboration with the fashion brand Louise Misha is, too, unsurprisingly, less about fashion and more about feeling, rooted not only in an aesthetic sensibility, but also in an unhurried approach to life and art. Seizing the moment in its fullness. Feeling therefore creating in her own rhythm. Making space to explore a new idea. Making art that is involved in the real life. In a world that is buckling under the weight of uniformity and technology, this renewed sense of appreciation for art – to be seen in person, to be held, to be felt, to be tangible, to be worn – is invigorating and grounding. It invites the viewer to be curious about oneself, about the world.
In our interview, Léa Morichon and I talk about us humans’ relationship with art and culture, her childhood fascination with her mother’s vintage fashion posters, finding inspiration in dialogue and shared vulnerability, and about natural light as an essential element to her artistic process.
”Someone, someday, may come across my drawings.
They will exist in the real world.
Seeing artworks in person nourishes you
in a very different way.”
”Méditerranée”
Left: Série rose no. 1, oil on linen. Right: Série rose no. 4, oil on linen
Léa Morichon x Louise Misha collaboration
Léa, without trying to explain art, which I really don’t like to do, I would like to start by saying that looking at your work – be it your paintings or your collaborative projects with other creatives – has this calming effect on me, and this comes not just from it aesthetically, but it somehow feels that you have found this natural rhythm in putting out there in the world only what makes sense to you. What has your creative path been like? Has drawing always been part of your life?
Thank you so much, I’m touched that my art evokes such a feeling in you. It’s truly my Ariadne’s thread, what I deeply seek for myself. When I paint, I try to reach my center — the most honest and natural part of me. Our world is a complex and intense place, and painting, for me, is a way to connect to life and to what truly matters. It’s a way to resonate on the same frequency with the world. I started painting when I was 5, then stopped between the ages of 15 and 30 due to my studies and work. I used to draw a lot back then, but it was mostly for commissions or applied arts. My personal formal exploration is actually very recent. This turning point is deeply fulfilling and rich.
“I need to live and feel things in the real world
in order to paint. It’s really like the tides,
constantly in motion.”
What is your earliest drawing memory? And did you have any favourite illustration books as a child?
When I was a child, my mom had a book on vintage fashion posters. I was so fascinated by this untouchable world. I grew up in the countryside, so this glamorous universe was completely new to me.
You grew up with your mother’s vintage fashion posters. You have now collaborated with fashion and perfume brands. What was that experience like?
I adore this part of the collaborative experience — meeting new people and sharing ideas. Fabric has always been a source of inspiration for me. I love seeing a drawing come to life on a person. Fashion carries a certain lightness that brings a sense of ease and freedom.
Léa Morichon x Louise Misha collaboration
Do you mostly draw and paint from real life? And what ignites your imagination?
I work based on my emotions and what I feel. I’m like a sponge — I need to live and feel things in the real world in order to paint. Then I need to be very isolated and in a quiet space for it to come out. And I go through the same cycle again. It’s really like the tides, constantly in motion. The movement has a calming effect on me.
Do you have a favourite quiet space where you paint?
Yes, I’m very lucky in that regard. I really need a peaceful space to create, and I have a wonderful workshop with lots of natural light.
“I need a peaceful space to create.
For me, natural light and nature are essential.”
Quite a few artists I have talked to have told me about natural light as an important element for their creativity, for thriving in their art. Is that true for you? Or is there any other element that must be part of your work space or artistic process?
For me, natural light and nature are essential. When I look out of my window, I see my garden — it’s like a visual breath of fresh air.
And where does an artist call “home”?
Home… an environment where you feel at peace.
What is the best thing about working with your hands?
Imperfection, the joy of truly feeling alive. And the quality of deep focus. Sometimes I work for six hours straight without even noticing time passing.
The search for gesture is one of the most beautiful things that exist for human beings. Especially in our new world — hyperconnected yet disconnected from the self. To me, it’s vital and visceral for a human to stay connected to touch, to the body, to movement, to feeling through the body. It simply brings happiness, because it’s part of our true nature.
You like to work with natural materials and fabrics. We are so used to screens today and even seeing art made on screens (art made digitally or not) instead of an art gallery or museum or in a book. How important is it for you for your art to be tangible?
It changes everything. I give time to something that may last. Someone, someday, may come across my drawings. They will exist in the real world. They will see that the light changes from one angle to another — and maybe it will do them good to see that. Maybe they will even want to touch it.
Seeing artworks in person nourishes you in a very different way. There’s a proximity: you’re right next to the other human who created this object. And no matter the time — you’re simply next to each other.
”Inner Mystery”, inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman”
I like this idea of proximity being the source of inspiration and motivation in each other. It reminds me of Gabrielle Vincent – I did an interview with Fanny Husson-Ollagnier from Fondation Monique Martin and she told me that rather than being influenced or inspired by other artists and writers, she liked to exchange ideas with artists from other fields as she exchanged letters with the French writer Daniel Pennac for about ten years; he was asking her what she thought of his texts and she was asking him about her drawings. What is your way of seeking inspiration?
I completely relate to that idea of proximity as a source of inspiration. For me, inspiration often comes through dialogue and shared vulnerability. One of my best friends, Elke Foltz, is also a painter — we’ve known each other for over 20 years. We regularly exchange ideas, as well as doubts and questions, which keeps everything very real and alive. I also find a lot of inspiration in many other fields, especially photography and books.
“For me, inspiration often comes through dialogue
and shared vulnerability.”
And a few of your favourite photographers and books would be…
Romain Gary – The Kites, Gloria Steinem, Colette – Green Wheat, Bell Hooks – All About Love, Clarissa Pinkola Estés – Women Who Run With the Wolves, to name just a few… Books are truly one of the most beautiful things that exist. There’s so much to read — a single lifetime isn’t enough. Maya Angelou is also a tremendous source of inspiration.
As for photographers, I really love Elina Brotherus, Richard Avedon, Jacques Henri Lartigue.
Léa, one last question: In this time and age, what do you wish people appreciated more?
It might sound a little blunt, but the truth is, in the end, we’re all going to die. I just wish people would focus more on what really matters — kindness toward others, simplicity, care, and a genuine curiosity about one another. Less judgment, more effort to understand the other.
Thank you, Léa, for this wonderful talk.
Website: leamorichon.com | Instagram: @lea_morichon
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