JD: It's great when teachers are so encouraging. How do students specialise at the Beaux-Arts de Paris? Do you study a lot of different disciplines, sculpture, drawing etc., or do you choose your specialisation right from the start? 

RB: The Beaux-Arts de Paris works in a pretty unique way. There are about 25 workshops led by professional artists. Each student is free to follow their interests, and they gravitate towards different teachers and artists.
Personally, painting is in my blood, and I've been interested in printmaking and silkscreen printing for a long time, so I knew I wanted to be in a painting workshop.

JD: That's interesting, because painting does not necessarily spring to mind when looking at your work. 

RB: Yes, because my work is very multidisciplinary. Originally, I was interested in the history of painting, the history of representation. That's why there are so many figures and portraits in my work: they are a nod to our history.

JD: How did this project for the Panthéon come about? 

RB: For several years, I have been working on a series of portraits of figures who were active in the fight against slavery, for example, and who are still largely unknown in mainland France. I was also interested mixed-race people who had a life and an impact here in Paris in the 18th century. My subjects ranged from the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a great composer and swordsman, who was actually Marie-Antoinette's piano teacher, to Guillaume de Laetitia, an incredible painter who remains little known today. The people I researched typically had a European father, perhaps a planter or high-ranking French official in the Antilles. They often ended up in Paris to undertake
military training or artistic studies. I wanted to bring these figures back to life.

JD: How long did it take you to hone your skills?

 RB: I left art school in 2010. Between 2010 and 2015, I was really developing this side of my work.

JD: So you've been exploring this approach for almost 15 years. You definitely have a handle on it now... 

RB: Well, there was a second key turning point: when I start making wearable pieces. I was invited to do a residency with LVMH's artisans in Singapore for six months, which ultimately became eight because of Covid. I was fascinated by the expertise of the leatherworkers in the fashion industry. Artists were invited to create pieces based on artisanal methods and techniques. The dialogue between creators was extremely interesting. Working so closely with artisans who specialise in accessories, their know-how and also the material quality of the leather directed me towards wearable pieces.

JD: Looking at all these materials, the textiles that you use, had me wondering about your relationship with fashion. You have also worked on parades. Is that something you are passionate about? 

RB: Yes. I think I am a bit obsessed with the human body, it’s presence. It makes sense that my wearable pieces are brought to life. For example, recently I imagined a performance at the Nuit Blanche in Paris with professional hip-hop dancers and two carnival groups. My studio created 80 costumes.

JD: Excellent. 

RB: It was great to see them wake up and come alive. I like both sides of the coin: I like when my wearable pieces become sculptures, but I also like when they are in motion.

JD: Did the Panthéon project begin right after your residency? 

RB: No, three years later. The design phase was very lengthy. We had to make a 3D mock-up. Working in a monument brought some unique challenges, because we were barely allowed to touch or hang anything.

JD: Does the Panthéon not normally host artists? 

RB: No, it's very rare. I think this was the third time. JR had a large installation there a few years ago. The request for a memorial on the history of the fight against slavery and abolition by a contemporary artist came from the CNM.

JD: And your work will be on show soon in the Palais de Tokyo?

RB: Yes, that's the big project that has ruled my life for the last few months. The exhibition opens 20 February. It's a mixture of existing works and pieces that are currently in progress. I find it funny that I'm at a point in my career where I’m still considered an emerging artist, but I'm already being offered retrospective exhibitions. Some of the pieces from the Panthéon, especially textile pieces, will be making a grand return, but I still have a lot of work to do. I am working on an embroidery project, as well as several large new textile pieces.

JD: Are there any in the workshop?

RB: These costumes will be on display. We will create some new costumes, and we have also borrowed paintings from private collectors.

JD: A real retrospective… Are there any artists who inspire you, whose work you would like to share?

RB: I am often drawn to abstract painting, which may come as a surprise because my work is mostly figurative. For example, there is an African-American artist called Sam Gilliam who makes very large textile pieces with completely abstract painting, really playing with the theatricality of the textiles and the folds, their presence.

JD: How did you discover him?

RB: I discovered him in America, because his work is not very well known in France. There are also collage artists like Romare Bearden or Jacob Lawrence who are practically unknown here, but who mean a lot to me because they also specialise in collage. I love Romare Bearden and the poetic quality of his work. He also examines the history of painting, with photography and different elements diluted in ink, and the results are very dreamlike.




Courtesy of the artist

and Mariane Ibrahim Chicago, Paris and Mexico City.