We had the good fortune of connecting with Mathieu Nozieres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mathieu, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I was a teenager, I spent a lot of time with my neighbor who was in his sixties. He was very wise, had long gray hair and reminded me of Merlin the magician. One day he told me: if you have a friend and you care about him, when you leave him you don’t say “take care of yourself” but “take risks”. Because it’s by taking risks that you go the furthest and that you can discover the most things. I thought that was really cool and I’ve since made it a life motto. When I have a choice between something stable and something that is risky but can continue to improve who I am, what I do and what I get out of it, then I jump. So I see risk more as a challenge that motivates me rather than something that petrifies me

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Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is a great mix of many influences. I have lived in several countries that have inspired me a lot. Arab countries, Asian countries, Europe and Eastern countries, USA…I took from each culture elements that spoke to me and then I made my own little soup with these different ingredients.

Seeing so many different things was a real source of inspiration and at the same time a certain source of anxiety. Because then you have to choose which direction to go in! That’s why I made a kind of mix, because I hate choices. And that’s what’s interesting in the end, how we combine several things to make one that is ours. Creativity is mostly about putting together things that already exist but in a new and unexpected order.

What I’ve learned after 10 years in the business is that you have to be curious because that’s what drives everything. Mental health, artistic health, physical health, being curious is the magic elixir!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In LA I love to eat. That’s the first thing. There are so many good restaurants, oh my god! I would take my friends to Luv2eat Thai Bistro, a restaurant that is just unbelievably good. And also Veggie Grill on Sunset. For my Vegan friends it’s the best place. And it’s also the only place where you can eat a burger without coming out feeling like you ate too much. I like to walk too, so I would probably take them to Runyon Canyon. I love seeing the city while being in nature. It gives you perspective on things and still keeps you motivated because you see the city to conquer in front of you. And go surfing at the beach. I suck at surfing but I really want to learn. Walking in Santa Monica, going to Malibu, in short making my friends enjoy the ocean. We would also definitely take a trip to Universal Studios to please our inner child!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I will dedicate this shoutout to Luc Foccroulle who is probably the teacher who helped and inspired me the most. He transmitted a real passion for drawing and art in general. And of course to my family who has always supported me!

Website: www.mathieunozieres.com

Instagram: @mathieunozieres

Twitter: @mathieunozieres

Facebook: @MathieuNozieres

Youtube: @mathieunozieres

Image Credits
The photo of my portrait was taken by Emma Bilmes.

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