All Eyes on NouN
We have our eyes on NouN.
The multidisciplinary artist is exploring identity using art and we are here for it.
Who is Noun? An enigma, for sure. NouN takes her artist moniker from a childhood nickname. It is pronounced like Noon. Noon, “is the zenith of the sun in English,” she explains. It’s also the name of the letter N in the Arabic language, “ن”, which is “a beautiful symbol of an open-mind.”
It’s this open-mind that makes NouN dope at her craft.
Apres Josephine spoke to the artist about her recent exhibition in Paris, which included a workshop that gave everyone, including the homeless, the opportunity to explore how we are seen using art supplies.
Tell us about your yourself. What projects are you currently working on? Are you designing Vans for a vast market?
I’m NouN, a French artist, born and raised in the close suburb of Paris. I founded a collective of women artists in 2012 named Rhizome. With the collective, we did several exhibitions and workshops in the suburbs of Paris. Our artworks were focused on identity questioning since most of us have ancestry from the European continent. I also worked for cultural organizations in and outside of Paris, and I’m really passionate about hip-hop culture, dance and music.
My work has always been multidisciplinary. With my first Paris solo show in September 2019, “Dans les Yeux”, I tried to work on creating the impression that I had in mind. Also, I wanted to emancipate myself of eyes. It was a chance to show, through art, the development of our relationship with social networks and how images are, in our modern world, evanescent. The show took three different forms: painting, customization, and illustration.
Today, I want to continue pursuing artwork in many forms, which is why I wanted to try new collaborations—and why not start with brands like Vans?
Photo by La Bijoutery
When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?
I think I’ve always been an artist. For me, it’s a way of seeing my environment through artistic eyes. I got the french artist statute, Maison des Artistes, in 2014. However, it wasn’t easy for me as I always had to struggle to be acknowledged. Between 2008 and 2011, I worked for mural artists in San Francisco for several months; that gave me a better understanding of what a professional artistic career looks like. So, it took me a while, but I finally decided to make a statement and work on art projects besides my career in cultural institutions.
What artists of color have influenced your art?
I have been influenced by several classic and contemporary artists. “I paint flowers so they will not die,” said Frida Khalo. As such, I think that one of my inspirations is to create memories. For street art and mindset influences, my references are Basquiat and Mode2; but also the Harlem Renaissance for the fighting art spirit; and Adrian Piper, who I discovered through a great book titled “ Black is a Color” by Elvan Zabunyan. I also love art performances from the 70’s, right up until modern performances, and music videos where you can find some incredible pieces of art through artists such as Baloji, M.I.A or F.K.A Twigs.
Your recent exhibition focused on eyes, which some would say are the windows to the soul. What was your motivation for this theme?
My first show, “Dans les Yeux”, was born upon reflection about my relationship with Instagram. With a single scroll, I discovered that I had wandered into this giant hub of content, and yet I had not made a single memory of what I just saw. So, in 2017, I started to draw portraits of the youth in my feed to keep something as a picture. Then, I did another work inspired by Instagram’ explorer page, and I quickly became obsessed with this type of work. I was writing down the number where I found the image in my explorer, the hour I started and stopped the drawing. I quickly drew with ink and posca on block note paper because I knew that, if I refreshed the page, the image would have disappeared. It was a game against the time.
“My hair has always defined me through the eyes of others: sometimes as an exotic object or as the symbol of somewhere else, but never from here.”
My work is also about representation. I did a signature video where you can see me washing my hair for a long moment with a coat that I customized full of eyes. At the end of the piece, the only thing that you would remember is my eyes looking at you. It’s an empowerment piece, and the central piece of the exhibition. It’s an emancipation work that means a lot to me as an adopted child (I don’t know my biological origin) and woman of thirty. My gender and the fact that I look of color has always been a subject of interest for people who lay their eyes on me. My hair has always defined me through the eyes of others: sometimes as an exotic object or as the symbol of somewhere else, but never from here. It’s also a reconciliation with myself, and to say that I’m not just my hair. I don’t want to be defined only by what I look like. Now I’m the one looking through you.
You hosted an inclusive workshop, offering the opportunity for the homeless to be empowered through art. How do you think art shapes all socioeconomic backgrounds?
Art, for me, has no meaning if it isn’t linked with our society. Art in any form has a political message. It could be a reflection of societal issues, but it can also give hope or joy to people. My approach to creating art is limited to the art market, but is also for people. I want to create a safe space where people can actually meet me for real.
Beyond the glam of the opening, it’s important for me to have several moments where different people can come and experience my work. Also, my show conveyed a powerful message; it was also a criticism of our consumption of social networks and how all the contents have a short-lived experience. [It was also about] relationships. The workshop was a way for me to create real life social networking.
Do you think the work of an artist is for self-expression or to capture humanity or both?
It’s pretty much both. I’m creating because something is touching me and, from that experience, I need to express myself—but also I need to have a purpose or a meaning behind all that I do. Capturing humanity is the best way to touch people and create a community around your work.
How do you construct your world of art? And does race, background or income ever come into play?
When I was younger and when I did my art studies, I had a hard time defining myself. But then I discovered cultural studies, which was really important to me. My friends in Paris at La Sorbonne Université saw art like I did; teachers who were more academic and not really into minorities questioning through art saw things differently. This was ten years ago, and ever since then a lot of positive changes have happened in France (though there is still a lot to do). French, European art history and philosophy helped me a lot. Also, classic art that you can find in Musée d’Orsay, Le Louvre or Pompidou inspired me too in my artistic construction. I grew up in a suburban town close to Paris with the chance to be around beautiful architecture, museums and also culture such as hip-hop, dance, music, and graffiti. It was always a paradox and a source of inspiration. Knowing history helps construct your mindset and allows you to create better arguments, as says Kery James: “ Si le savoir est une arme, soyons armés, car sans lui nous sommes désarmés”.
Photo by La Bijoutery
At your exhibition, you combined music and dance. How has music and/or influenced your art?
I always have been influenced by different forms of arts. I became passionate about art through dance. I always wanted to be a Hip Hop dancer when I was younger. I also worked during those last four years for the hip hop culture in the first cultural center of Paris dedicated to Hip Hop: LA PLACE. Before that, I worked for Hip Hop dance structures, events, or non-profit organizations. Music, dance and visual art will always be a part of my world. I go out a lot. I always have the need to see a dance battle, street art pieces or a concert that give me the energy to create.
Do you have go-to songs when creating?
When I’m creating, I often listen to two different playlists on Spotify :
But also a French feminist podcast:
Right now, Paris is full of artistic places and neighborhoods full of life. I go to La Villette for dope events or street dance training but also [I visit] Le 104.
What type of work did you do with Philippe Starck?
I had the opportunity to work as one of the artists who were selected by the team of Philippe Starck for his new brand, TOG, to customize one of the pieces of furniture for this new brand. My proposition was for the chair EMA SAO. It was already about eyes; that customization was named “Keep Eyes Open”. This work was presented at the Salone Del Mobile in Milan, Italy in April 2015.
You spent some time in San Francisco. Are there some noticeable differences between making art in France vs. making art in America?
That’s a hard question. I went three times to the Bay Area: In 2008 to work with Hayley Ferreira, in 2009 to work in the Alliance Française of SF, and in 2011 to work with John Pugh. Both are muralist artists, with different world’s [from my own], but I really improved by their side.
I think one of the things I learned the most in U.S, which blocked me in France, was the capacity to reinvent myself and have the self-confidence to be whatever I want. In France it can sometimes be really tiring how people try to discourage you because of their fears. My art travels in the U.S gave me some self-confidence and I came back with more determination to be at ease with my choices.Those trips also gave me a better picture of how the art market works.
In France, even if I studied art in high school and university, we never talked about the market and how to manage a business; it was more about the beauty of art and developing my artistic capacities than making a living with my passion. That’s why, when I came back, I pursued cultural management. On the other hand, in France art is helped by public political investment; it’s not only about making money and how can you survive with your art, but you can also make some social artistic projects and be supported by public money.