WITH CHOOSE FLAIR ART
Runway Gallery artist Belinda Frikh is known for her focus on the female form
Owning a piece of art is as easy as clicking a button with Runway Gallery.
This digital platform gives you the chance to snap up inspirational prints and designs for your home. Annecy-based artist Belinda Frikh is one of the gallery’s much-loved artists.
WHEN DID YOU START DRAWING? For as long I can remember, I was drawing, always drawing, to the exasperation of my parents. I drew on anything and everything: cereal boxes, books, official documents, letters from school complaining about me always drawing…
As I hit my teens, my work became a little less about the destruction of all plain surfaces and more about channelling it all into a portfolio. It dawned on me that this may be an acceptable vocation when I won a drawing competition at the age of 12. Much later, I went on to study at L’école Supérieure d’art Annecy, then the École d’arts Appliqués à Lyon.
WHEN DID YOU MOVE TO LONDON? I arrived in 1996, straight after my studies. It was supposed to be for three months, but I ended up staying for 21 years – I now live in the French Alps.
DOES YOUR FRENCH BACKGROUND INFLUENCE YOUR ART?
Absolutely. I’ve named most of my ladies after French heroines.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
I often begin by drawing a figure I’ve been inspired by, from a movie, or an iconic female figure, or a character in a book. Then I trawl through magazines and cut out and collect fragments to use for a collage effect later. The cuttings come from anything that catches my eye: jewels, flowers, textiles, lampshades, staircases, literally anything. Then I’ll often incorporate them into my illustrations. This stage of the composition can take days until I am satisfied. Finally, the print is retouched by hand.
WHAT IS IT THAT DRAWS
YOU TO THE FEMALE FORM?
When I visualise the female form,
I see a different code of beauty: a wit, a certain mannerism, a composure, a unique imperfection, a smouldering look, a trailblazing attitude. I find these attributes in many women in literature, in strong cinematic female leads, and in historical heroines.
DOES FASHION INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?
Definitely. I wanted to be a fashion illustrator when I was a kid, then later on I worked as an in-house illustrator for many fashion designers.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
Lockdown has given me the opportunity to start spreading my wings towards the world of decoration. I am working on a capsule collection of items with my artwork on it.