RAPID FIRE: Virginie Kypriotis

“ I believe there is a space for everyone to develop his own style and to find his public ”

Virginie Kypriotis is a French artist currently living and working in Paris. After spending several years working in the animation industry as an art director she evolved a desire to develop a more personal approach to expression within her illustrations.

Her trademark style is often accompanied by busy images, with lots of odd characters and various stories coming together, leaving the viewer with many details to discover.

You can enjoy more of Virginie’s work in Pictoria Volume.1, Leaders in Contemporary Illustration.

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Virginie Kypriotis and I do illustration

How would you describe your work?

A happy mess! I like to tell stories so I often create busy images with a lot of characters and details to discover. I think my style is influenced by the years I spent working as a character designer in animation.

How do you go about creating your artwork? Do you prefer to work digitally or with traditional media?

I mainly work digitally and I do my sketches on photoshop as well. However since I worked on a mural for the 1st time 2 months ago I feel like I will experiment more traditional medias like poscas and painting next year.

What are you working on at the moment?

Besides commissioned work, I am currently working on an animated version of an illustration of mine for a big exhibition about electro music which will take place in 2019 at the Philharmonie in Paris. (Click here for more information). I am also working on a series of illustrations about clubs and nightlife.

Who or what are the top five inspirations for your work?

Party, everyday life, people(particularly crowds), old cartoons, Winsor McCay

What's one resource every artist, illustrator or designer should know about?

Instagram for inspiration and visibility (it’s impressive how many amazing artists I find there). I also recommend chilling in bookstores.

What is the most valuable lesson you've learned during your time working in the creative industries?

Not everyone will like my work and that is fine; I believe there is a space for everyone to develop his own style and to find his public . Also collaborating with other creatives and network in general is essential.

What is the hardest challenge you have faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?

Getting the confidence to show my work to the most people as possible. Only time and practice helped me with that.

What are your professional goals for the next year?

I would like to make an exhibition based on the concept I am currently creating for the Philharmonie of Paris, meaning illustration pushed further with new technologies.