Géraldine Georges' creations are floating between photography and graphics in the same way her innocent fairy girls that fight with the elements of nature are trying to open a door between different worlds. The young Belgian graphic artist and illustrator has a bright future ahead and her work is already featured from New York Times till L’Oreal advertisements. Showing a special preference to black colour and using a lot of 80’s references, she creates some of the most breathtaking portraits we have seen lately. With a particular love for the feminine figure, Georges adds to her heroines a mysterious scent, as if they were coming out from the pages of a forgotten novel. It is exactly this mix of diverse elements and artistic disciplines that makes her work fresh and creative. As we are sure that after taking a look at her creations you will die to have a part of Georges’ universe at your home, we recommend you the limited prints and fantastic cushions she has created in collaboration with clickforart.com. In the meanwhile, we invite you to enjoy the very interesting interview she gave us exclusively for Yatzer. It’s girl power after all!

Well, Geraldine, let’s take it from the beginning. How did you decide to become a graphic artist?
To be honest, I never decided to "become a graphic designer"...it came to me naturally. After finishing high school, I hadn’t decided about my future yet, I was looking for my way. As I was already drawing a lot and making collages back at that time, I went to a graphics class in the summer, not knowing what it was exactly about and I fell in love with it! Next September I started the "Académie des beaux-arts" in Brussels in Visual communication. I ended up in an advertising agency where I began to really enjoy what I was doing... After that experience, I decided to start as a freelance.

In your work the female presence has a prominent role. What is that you find the most inspiring about the female body?
Well I don't know...I'm a girl...it's as simple as that!

Your illustrations have a lot of onirical elements like animals and trees and blurred shapes. Do you believe that is important for people to come in touch with this other dimension in their everyday life?
Of course, I'm a country girl; I grew up surrounded by farms and animals of all kinds...maybe I miss that now that I live in the city. I came to town for studying and for work; it is very difficult to leave the city with all the facilities that it offers. I truly believe that the city feeds us as much as it destroys us. Everything goes too fast, we want to do everything, see everything until you even forget to sleep!!!

You have worked from advertising till creating record sleeves and posters. What do you enjoy the most? Working for other people does it make you feel restricted or does it make you use your imagination in another way?
Working for an agency is for me the best school you can go to. You learn discipline, rapidity, you must show rigour, work under pressure, have flexibility and a great sensee of adaptability. It's essential, but on a long term basis it can format you and stuck you in a specific profile. However, I still work for advertising and other clients from home and I really enjoy it. It's rewarding. To work as a freelance is more diversified and interesting. It brings me freedom and each day is different from the other. Today I'm much more free and motivated than when I was working in an office where you have a schedule. That was a real problem for me because I love to work at night when inspiration comes to me. My work is like a game, I really enjoy to do it. I like to work for clients as much as I like to work for my own projects...one can't go without the other. They are both complementary.

What is the working process that is hidden behind your creations?
I don't have a secret process. I just mix collage/cutting of pictures with drawing made with a Rotring, trying to inspire a certain feeling and emotion to it. I put everything together and I try to find the perfect balance and purity. I don't like over-ornated and loud work. I like simple, clear and direct things...there is no need to overdo.

What is the future of the graphic arts, according to your opinion? Is everything really said and done?
For sure, nothing is over, I think Art in general has no limit. Imagination has no limit. The means and technics are countless, their evolution is so fast that it's really difficult to imagine an end to it.

Tell us five things that truly inspire you.
Life & death, love, nature, music and feelings.

Which are your future projects?
There is an advertising campaign for a shampoo brand in the US as well as a full range of packaging for beauty products in Finland. I'm just waiting for the final "ok" to go on… I always regret the time wasted on negociation, paper work and briefing instead of creation!! It takes so much time before you can really jump into the job. But now, more than ever, I'm amazed by this great invention: internet. It allows me to work from home for the whole world!

Discover more of her talent through the following artworks:

Image Courtesy of Géraldine Georges