Marie-Lou Garcia: From Graphic Design to Serene Illustration

Marie-Lou Garcia, a Paris-based illustrator, transitioned from graphic design to full-time illustration during the 2020 lockdown. She creates calm artworks inspired by trips, holidays, and daily moments, often sketching on return trains. Her piece 'Figolu au bord du Tarn' depicts a friend eating a Figolu biscuit by the river during a hitchhiking trip. Garcia also produces made-to-order scarves and textiles, leveraging her background as a textile graphic designer. She runs an online shop selling prints, scarves, and risographs, having invested in her own printing machine. She is working on a graphic novel with Pauline Faivre about femininity and maternal grief, and co-founded Studio Sthéno with Léa Laforest. Her website uses the font Dindong by Clara Sambot from Bye Bye Binary, reflecting her political convictions. Garcia expresses anger at AI-generated images and supports 'No AI' collectives. She advises artists not to overcontrol and to embrace freedom.