For Alice Monvaillier, animation is a "pretty magical process"

Recently exhibiting at Pictoplasma festival in Berlin a couple of weeks ago, Alice Monvaillier showcased her new film, created specifically for the festival. “I was totally free to show whatever I wanted and decided to make an animation because I’ve always loved making experimental shorts, but never had the chance to develop a fully-fledged project," she tells It’s Nice That.

For the Metz-based animator, animation is a “pretty magical process” which gives life to her other interest of illustration. As she painstakingly draws her films frame-by-frame, Alice’s eye intuitively selects certain frames which then makes its way into her playful illustration work. Full of animated characters and metallic colour palettes, Alice’s style has gradually developed from her days as an art school student.

“During my studies, I first thought about becoming a graphic designer even though I was also interested in illustration. But I thought that I could earn a better living as a graphic designer.” Little by little, Alice further indulged in her illustrations and animations, slowly leaving graphic design behind. “I think what makes me more interested in illustration is the fact that it lets me express myself with a lot more freedom” and for the French creative, it’s much more fun too.

Gradually building up her portfolio by attending print and zine fairs, Alice slowly turned her passion into a career as more and more people viewed her work and began to commission her. As well as exhibiting her work in a number of shows, she’s also recently worked on an outdoor installation for the Centre Pompidou in Metz, focusing on the theme of painting at night and dreams. In other work, Alice has begun work for a street art and digital festival taking place this summer in Metz. Transforming the gallery into a “huge fake aquarium”, Alice will utilise the venue’s glass walls to create psychedelic fishes and Meduses for the upcoming show.

Constantly soaking up inspiration from her surroundings, Alice finds new sources of influence not only from her peers that she comes across at zine fairs, but also from the studio next-door to hers. “This studio next to mind recovers and repairs old arcades,” says Alice. “I pass them every day on my way to work and the colourful, vintage sci-fi illustrations have really influenced me in the last few months.” Along with comics such as Shin Chan and Fun Girl, Alice draws on the humour in the narratives and applies it to her characters that never fail to put a smile on our faces.