Chalcosoma atlas (2018) Drawing by Mathilde Delattre-Josse

Who am I?
Born in 1973 on the coast of Brittany in Morbihan where I still live, I am nourished by the little nothings or the big things that surround me. Feeling the wind, tasting the sea spray, rubbing shoulders with the trees, observing the birds, collecting shellfish, picking primroses, savoring wild strawberries, observing the activity of ants for hours and then sometimes tasting a few, are all things that filled my days as a little girl and as a grown-up too (except eating ants!).

What am I doing?
Having always been passionate about drawing and writing in order to seek to transcribe the flow of my emotions, I turned to studying visual arts and then graphics which led me to the École Supérieure des Arts Modernes in Paris. My taste for writing will then guide me towards publishing, a field for which I have designed and produced book models for many years. Then, combining my qualities as a graphic designer with my taste for drawing, it is quite natural that I now explore vector art.

The technique
Most of the illustrations were executed in vector drawing.
The technique of vector drawing represents today and for half a century now, an essential component in contemporary art. This technique remains a traditional art which applies to creating a drawing on a sheet of digital paper; the mouse, the stylus are the pencils and the screen is, therefore, the original medium. The work can then be exhibited either by projection or, as here, by printing on a limited edition paper print. Finally, this technique has the advantage of being able to edit the illustrations on very large prints while maintaining the same drawing quality...

Why insects?
Entomology is the part of zoology that deals with the study of insects and other terrestrial arthropods. This microcosm, an almost inexhaustible source of wonder, proves to be a veritable boon for exploration. With more than 1 million currently described and existing species and nearly 10,000 new species inventoried per year, insects constitute the largest part of animal biodiversity.

Little by little, the drawing allows the eye to go beyond the simple representation of the animal and captures the complexity and strangeness of the forms. The entomology model is transformed into a feat of goldsmithing, Jules-Vernian mechanics or a science fiction creature. The vector drawing technique provokes and highlights this transformation, nevertheless respecting the attachment to the representation of reality. This process allows the small to become very large from then on, realism begins a dance with abstraction.

And for the rest?
According to the inspirations of the moment, I explore, question myself, try, try, experiment, dissect again and again the events, the elements that surround me...

• Nationality: FRANCE
• Date of birth : 1973
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary French Artists