Ophélie Paris balances fantasy and existentialism in her illustrations

Magical realism is at every corner of Ophélie's creative vision, from her recent comic to her flora-inspired work.

Date
29 August 2023

Share

One glance at the illustrations of Berlin-based Ophélie Paris and you’ll feel at peace. Through a combination of colour pencils and pastels, Ophélie unearths the serenity of our planet – from flora to fauna, to simply sitting on a bench in your old age. “I like to focus on shapes, patterns, enhance the volumes and the materiality of things,” the illustrator tells us. “This is something that happened when I began to work more and more with colour pencils a few years ago.” Her work evokes the folk art of Hungary and surrounding cultures, with her work being brought to life with a distinct aura that relies on the hue of her colour pencils.

In a recent comic in particular, Snail Tale, Ophélie wistfully explores the history of her grandmother in Hungary in the 1950s. “I like to play on the contrasts and to give things a special glow even if it means spending a few extra hours on a drawing,” Ophélie explains. “I also seek to find a balance between some kind of realism and a fantastic glow.” It's no wonder that movies such as The Wizard of Oz and The NeverEnding Story influence a lot of this magical-realism in her work. Ultimately, for Ophélie, it's all about “the mix between fantastic and existential questions.”

Above

Ophélie Paris: Moonlight Rabbit (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2020)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Fortepan series - 1907 in Gellérthegy (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2021)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Illustration for Le Courrier d'Europe centrale - series about the war in Ukraine 2022 (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2022)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Fortepan series - somewhere in Hungary (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2021)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Drawing for ‘Le cœur cahin-caha’ (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2023)

Above
Left

Ophélie Paris: Drawing for ‘Le cœur cahin-caha’ (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2023)

Right

Ophélie Paris: Drawing for ‘Le cœur cahin-caha’ (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2023)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Drawing for ‘Le cœur cahin-caha’ (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2023)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Illustration for Le Courrier d'Europe centrale - series about the war in Ukraine 2022 (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2022)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Illustration for Le Courrier d'Europe centrale - series about the war in Ukraine 2022 (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2022)

Above

Ophélie Paris: Fortepan series - Winter in Hungary in 1970 (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2021)

Hero Header

Ophélie Paris: Poster for Biscoto Magazine (Copyright © Ophélie Paris, 2021)

Share Article

About the Author

Joey Levenson

Joey is a freelance design, arts and culture writer based in London. They were part of the It’s Nice That team as editorial assistant in 2021, after graduating from King’s College, London. Previously, Joey worked as a writer for numerous fashion and art publications, such as HERO Magazine, Dazed, and Candy Transversal.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.