My first backpiece, a full-colour Art Nouveau-inspired tattoo

A project that already existed

This project existed before existing on skin.

It was a colour drawing, inspired by'Art Nouveau, designed right from the start for a back. I posted it on an Instagram story, simply, as a random idea put out there. Thinking to myself that no one would do it. Because a back is huge, it's in colour, and Art Nouveau is either your thing or it isn't.

Then Camille wrote to me.

We already knew each other, I’d tattooed her before. She told me she loved the design. As we were chatting, it became obvious: her back was completely empty. I said to her: "Hold on, you haven't got anything on your back, have you?"

From that point on, the project took on a whole new dimension. The week after, we cracked on.

When the idea becomes real

That's often how big pieces are born. No precise plan. An idea, the right person, and everything falls into place.

At the beginning, there is this special energy. You picture the room, the visual impact, the power it can have. And then comes the moment when you actually find yourself facing the back. There, in the flesh. I had never worked with colour on such a large surface before. I could feel it, I loved it, but I didn't fully master it yet. And yet, I had a whole back to bring to life in colour.

At that moment, I thought to myself: what have I got myself into?

It is precisely this kind of moment that moves things forward. You can choose to stay in what you know, or accept the challenge. There wasn't any hesitation for very long.

Colour as a stance

Colour on a back is spectacular. It really stands out immediately. When it works, you see it straight away. The piece commands attention, it catches the eye, it stands out. That's what I wanted for this project: something strong, legible, that truly comes to life on the body.

Art Nouveau as a structure

L'Art Nouveau came naturally. For its curves, its movement, the way it guides the eye across an entire surface. This is not a well-behaved aesthetic. It is precise, structured, demanding. Every line counts, every colour must find its place. On a back, this construction becomes essential. This is also what I explore in my approach to'Alphonse Mucha, this same compositional logic that follows the body rather than resting upon it.

A foundation

This first back piece is not just one more large piece. It is a moment when you realise that you can go further, provided you accept to confront something greater than yourself.

This is also what led to Camille's back in Provence, and to the subsequent projects.

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