Meet Alice Payen | Illustrator

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

Hi Alice, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always felt a need to record what was going on around me! I can remember one of my earliest drawings: a portrait of my mother, bitten by mosquitos ( I must have been around three years old! ). I draw all the time: be it on the metro, in class, during dinner… I don’t think I ever truly considered another career. Yes, I wondered if I could be a ballerina, and I had a gemologist phase- but art was always at the back of my mind! I’ve always been the ‘art kid’: my classmates would ask me to draw them and their crushes in exchange for snacks.
When I left Bangkok ( where I grew up) to move to Paris, I didn’t know anyone. New high-school, new home- the only thing familiar to me was drawing. I never went anywhere without my sketchbook.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As I previously mentioned, I have a deep-seated necessity to record everything that goes one around me. I don’t rank things in levels of importance: a metro-goer’s shoe is just as interesting as a chewing-gum wrapper left on the street. I think this may be what sets me apart.

In a few months, I will present the comic book I have been working on for a year to a panel of judges. If it goes well (fingers crossed), I’ll get my master’s degree. While I’m excited to finally be done with university, and to set off by myself, it is extremely daunting!!

Today, I’m an freelance artist, I attend art-fairs and participate in exhibitions with different collectives. I don’t think it’s easy to ‘make it’ as an illustrator today- either you get really lucky and get ‘seen’ on social media, or you have to work constantly to scout out new work contracts and opportunities. I’ve attended art-fairs where the artists barely reimbursed the table-fee, and exhibitions where everything sells out! You never really know how these things will go…

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve been living in Paris for about 7 years now, so I’m starting to know my way around! If I was to show a friend around, I think I would start with one of my favorite museums: L’Orangerie. There’s a beautiful display of Monet’s ‘Nymphéas’ as well as many paintings from Paul Guillaume’s collection. Including my favorite: Novo Pilota by Modigliani.
I would also lead them to the canal saint-martin, where people sit and have lunch ( or dinner ) – it’s like the seine but more cosy and homey.
At night, I’ll look out for my favorite underground bands – The Spaghetti Sluts for example, and head to whatever venue they play at ( could be the ‘Zorba’ or the ‘SuperSonic’…. to name some ). I think this is where my crowd is! Everyone is kind and welcoming, as well as open and interesting: No one’s from the same background! Some of us are tattoo artists, others PHD mathematicians, or micro-biology students!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Eulalie Combe ( _commentdire on instagram ) is an author and a performance artist. I met her in high-school, where I was fascinated by her talent: she wrote and directed multiple plays in two years. We have collaborated many times, she has asked me to make her posters, as well as act in her short films. She’s always believed in me and my art, and me in hers!!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicepayen_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-payen-a8a20018a/