Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Tallafe, I am a Chadian painter born in Abéché in 1981. I left Chad at the age of 19 to join the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Holland but the language was an obstacle. That’s why I went to England where I got my degree in Applied Arts from The Oldham School of Art in Manchester. I have been living in Paris since 2009.
How would you define yourself? What is your particularity?
I consider myself as a free and curious artist. I express myself mainly through colors. Each shade carries with it emotions. It gives a place and a function to a form with anonymous characters. Each silhouette or portrait tells a story that is always different.
How would you present your works?
My works are mostly bright and reflect the simplicity and presence of anonymous silhouettes. These are all elements that challenge the public and refers to his own conscience.
Colors carry with them them emotion that will give then a place and a function to the form. Colors determine the design as much as it animates it.
Who are the artists you admire?
In music, I admire Fela Kuti and Nina Simone who are my sources of inspiration. Concerning painting, I really appreciate the world of Frida Kahlo but also the work of young talents that I meet in group exhibitions. I am always attracted and impressed by their works.
What does motivate your creation?
I get a lot of inspiration from music but also from documentaries that can appeal to me. Organizing exhibitions and the contact with the public are also a source of motivation. The sharing during the opening brings me both professionally and personally in terms of openness and exchanges. It is a real enrichment.
How do you work?
I work mainly from acrylic paint and oil painting. I usually start with a white background. Then I put colors and then I draw anonymous silhouettes with brushes.
Which stage do you prefer in the realization?
I like the end: the moment when I sign the canvas. It is an end, a kind of deliverance.
When you start a creation, do you have a clear idea of the desired outcome?
I always have a precise idea of the direction I want to give to my work. And for that, I select three colors. I let myself be guided by my inspiration but it is really the colors which dictate the path to follow.
Which of your work you like the most?
These are my works Confluences for which I got the price of the city of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois at the show Hurepoix in 2012.
