Interview  •  Portraits

Interview with Atelier Louise M: 'Art That Looks Like You'

French artist and founder of Atelier Louise M, Cecile Marche, talks about how listening to others helps her create personalized art.

What is your background?

It's very broad! My friends love to introduce me as the “globetrotter-artist-engineer”! I was born in a small village in South of France (Ardeche). I graduated as an electronics and signal processing engineer in Lyon, then obtained my Master in Business degree in Paris.

I travelled around the world for 3 years, working from time to time for “le Guide du Routard”. I finally returned to France to begin a more conventional yet exciting life working in the industry through operational and later consulting functions.

In 2008, my family and I decided to move to the US for personal project where I perfected skills in Pop Art paintings which had always been a passion since childhood. This passion became a full-time activity and I found my vocation in storytelling through art. I have been living that passion for over 12 years, developing my workshop with an amazing team. I am now based in Singapore, with clients both in Europe and Asia.

A few words about your business?

I focus on two key activities:

• Make your life an art piece: For individuals, my paintings and digital artworks reflect a timeline of someone’s life - from special moments with kids to family travels. This is a unique idea if you are looking for a farewell present or to celebrate a milestone.
• Make creative links in business: For the corporate world, I follow the same concept to support the company's transformation (restructuring, merger, new governance), to give a sense of meaning to a corporate event (anniversary, moving, results, inauguration), or to re-establish and strengthen ties between employees.

You can be an individual, a brand or a company - my work consists of creating art pieces that represent you.

My artwork is inspired by either one-to-one or group interviews with employees , to reflect the DNA transmitted which can be values of the company, history, codes, special moments and etc. The result is always a team-building experience, and can take the shape of an art piece in a common area, or an award for a special celebration or a paperweight for each employee’s desk.

I have personalized statues and consumer goods, brought art into homes and offices by creating unique artistic panels (backsplash, hood panel, printed door) in company lobbies, cantinas and kitchen, hotel bedrooms, living rooms and any meeting room you can ever think of. Name it, I create it!

Why did you set up your business in Singapore?

Life brought me to Singapore for family reasons. This change was an amazing way to revamp my creativity. The new adventure has turned into a beautiful and inspiring one, helping to open my mind to different perceptions and discover new landscapes, new balances to draw and reinvent. My first local projects gave me the opportunity to draw pictures of Singapore. I fell in love with equatorial fauna and flora and found much of my inspiration in it.

What was the most difficult challenge to overcome on your entrepreneurial journey?

Having my team based in Europe, the main challenge was to communicate my new Asian inspirations to them. Also, time difference makes you work twice as much.

What are the next steps for your company?

Our plans are to expand throughout Asia with a workshop based in Singapore. I am presently working on more local partnerships and would like to give priority to local suppliers for printing and finishes.

A few tips for new entrepreneurs?

Having your own business is a day-to-day challenge. If you are sure that you have the right idea, trust your feelings, and go for it. Surround yourself with people who believe in your project. I was happy to have done this, it changed my life!

Work with people, suppliers, partners you respect and who share the same values you do. Never compromise. And lastly, keep questioning and pushing yourself to do better.

Find out more about Atelier LouiseM's personalised art: email at contact(@)louisem.fr, visit her website louisem.fr or IG account louisem_artiste.