For Aurélia Durand, art was nothing short of a revelation. “It started when I entered a pre-art school just after high school,” she told African Digital Art, “it was a revelation for me. In this place, I experimented all kinds of art drawings, paintings, sculpture, and product design.”
“I was studying in Paris which is the best place to study art; there are many museums, galleries, and events,” she went on to explain. “In school, I studied the history of art, I was fascinated by the contemporary art, I like a lot Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Cindy Scherman, Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, Murakami, Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor, A Wei Wei and many more.”
Born and raised in the suburbs of Paris, she now works full time as a graphic artist, with her work varying from illustration and animation to acrylic paintings. Her clients include giants like Adobe, Instagram, Tinder, and Refinery 29.
Her illustrations – bold, graphic, and colorful – focus mainly on African men and women. As for her inspiration, she says it comes from life itself: from films, music videos, photography, and other kinds of art and design forms, but also from the people she meets and the conversations she has with them. “As a creative person traveling is essential for getting new inspiration and bringing more nuances in my work,” Durand writes on her website. “I like to challenge my work by pushing myself to get new habits. My travels influence my work; my visuals are colorful and vibrant and aim to reflect the diversity of our society.”
Take a look at some of her eye-popping creations:
