Influences

A collection of art showcasing the work of the self taught French artist Iman Makzume.

Written & Illustrated by Iman Makzume

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Drawing has always been a part of my life even if my style has evolved a lot. When I was a kid, I used to take my black felt to the restaurant and draw on the paper tablecloths. Today, I am eighteen and I sometimes still take my black felt to the restaurant. I tried art classes for several years but I never really liked it. I always felt like I was forced to create something according to someone’s preferences or personal tastes and that is the main reason I chose not to pursue my studies in an art establishment. I want my drawings to be as free as possible.

ABOUT THE WORK

I would not qualify my work as “art” strictly speaking, rather as a personal experience of the world we live in.

Obviously this description is a little vague since, theoretically, each “artist” interprets the world in his own way. So what is it that makes my work unique? Honestly, nothing. Because nothing is unique. One draws inspiration from someone else’s work, who, in turn, has drawn inspiration from another and so on. The latter might have been inspired by the first. Who knows? But most importantly, in the end, everything always comes together. Everyone has his or her own personal (and therefore different) vision of our world, but none of these visions are unique. In my opinion, there can be no “unique” work since there is no absolute truth nor reality in itself.

If we can’t go “unique,” then we go “common” or “ordinary.” And that is exactly what inspires me everyday. The “banalities” of life: anything and everything. Sometimes the trigger is a word that I find amusing, or a conversation that I overhear, capturing a few words... It could also be a 5 minute chat with a new encounter, a pretty shirt, a forgotten chewing-gum, an atmosphere, a feeling, a dream, a thought... All of these small details build my reality, my world, and therefore my experience of what surrounds us.

Between the inspiration and the final result on paper, there is yet a whole new dimension. As I am not able to reproduce precisely what inspires me; I give myself away to the felt tip pen which guides me, and gradually discover my drawing as it is being done. In this lies my real experience and that is what I love about my work.