When it comes to her designs, French graphic artist and illustrator Aurélia Durand doesn’t shy away from color. In fact, she embraces it. A reflection of her ideology and background, Durand’s work centers around identity and the way in which race and culture inform it.
“I want to deliver a colorful and positive message and create awareness about being a woman of color and mixed-race,” she pointed out in an interview with Ballpitmag. Born in Paris, she later resided in Réunion—a French island located near Madagascar and Mauritius, and which ethnic groups include people of African, Indian, European, Malagasy, and Chinese origin.
“I was surrounded by lots of colors and flavors,” recalled Durand. “I was living in a place where different communities accept each other.” A celebration of cultures and ethnicities, Durand’s work presents the kind of world we want to live in. “My universe reflects where I come from,” says Durand, “and I want to celebrate my origins through my illustrations.”
Join in the celebration.
