Meet Myriam ( @myriamaucitron ) an artist and master chef – of all things sweet. Here we chat to the illustrator based in Morocco, Tangier about her career path and why being an artist is the icing on the cake!
Can you tell us about your background and what made you want to become an artist?
I am a 27-year-old French Moroccan living in Tangier. I have always drawn, but never wanted to be an artist. My dream was to have my own pastry shop, so I went to business school and got a pastry degree in France. Right now, I’m in the middle of ice cream training in Italy to open a second address “Maison Citron” with my sister. For me, art is like playing and expressing, I’m so happy to be able to make a living from it today… and that I am considered an artist, it’s the icing on the cake.
What are the key themes of your work?
The daily life with its beauty, its humour, the kitchen, work, craftsmanship … I like that everyone can project themselves into my paintings and find similarities and bridges in our habits, no matter where we are, far from our stereotypes … our cultures intertwine and interlock.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Tangier and north Morocco are my biggest inspirations, colours and light are magic. Here I feel my head in Europe and my feet in Africa and it remind me of my parents’ wedding. Also all the daily life details, I love to observe everything.
What is your creative process when creating a work of art?
Walking around while observing, I get information from places such as books, the web, museums…I take photos then I make sketches to see how to transcribe what I have seen and often the details flow ( a little sandwich, a book … ) like clues to understand the story. Then I redraw in pencil on a 400 g paper (variable formats), and I paint with gouache and acrylic.
Silence or noise during creation?
Music and silence.
And if the sound, which is currently on your playlist?
Devendra Banhart, Gaël Faye, Yasmine Hamdan, Lily Allen, Velvet Underground, Jacque Brel… I love music from all over the globe !!!
Which artists do you admire?
Creatives including Jacqueline Duheme, Chagall, Mohamed R’bati and Joann Sfar. The illustrators and naive figurative artists that I discover in museums, press or during travel. Each one has a way of interpreting the world that moves me.
Can you share with us any exciting future projects you are currently working on?
“Maison CITRON” in Tangier which will be full of colours, perfumes, sweets, and art. Also, my first exhibition in Casablanca in June at the Slaoui foundation.
You can follow her adventures here: www.instagram.com/myriamaucitron
www.myriamaucitron.fr/
