Nicolas Melgire, better known under the pseudonym Nicolourson, is a digital artist renowned for his innovative creation of a virtual, adventurous teddy bear inspired by famous artists such as Takashi Murakami and Kaws. His artistic ingenuity doesn’t stop there: he has extended his innovative concept to various spheres, including fashion and interior design, successfully launching his brand, Pluch Univers. Today, he shares his experiences and sources of inspiration in an exclusive interview with Impakt Magazine.
Interview : AWA M.SISSOKO
Talent : NICOLOURSON
Hello Nicolas and welcome! Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your career as a digital painter?
Hi, thank you very much. I’m Nicolas Melgire, but you can call me Nicolourson. I’m a digital painter.
What brought you to digital art?
After my art studies, I struggled to find a job in this field. I quickly realised that I had to work harder than everyone else. I continued to do the odd jobs I’d done during my studies, and then one day I broke down and bought a ticket to Japan. That trip changed everything! I got out of my comfort zone and started drawing on a graphics tablet. That was the beginning, I never thought I’d be working on this thing. When I got back to France, an artist friend of mine, Oacoralin, said to me, “Are you up for custom work? I’ve got clients”. I jumped at the chance. It was the first time I’d been paid for my work (at the time, I didn’t yet have my own artistic style). That’s where it all started. The person who opened the doors to the art world for me was Ingrid Chanterier, a lawyer I met in a sneaker shop where I used to work. She allowed me to exhibit in her home at first, then in galleries, which attracted the attention of the media and people who make podcasts. Thanks to my artistic style and this little media exposure, the artists’ circle contacted me to take part in a huge exhibition with lots of other artists. It was the best event I’ve taken part in to date. After this giant exhibition, I was able to exhibit in some of the coolest places in Paris.
What is it about digital painting that appeals to you more than more traditional media?
What I love about digital painting is the speed. You don’t have to wait for it to dry, and if I want to erase part of my work because it doesn’t fit, I can. You can see the result more quickly. Before, with traditional paint, it took a long time and changing colours was a pain, but I still love painting. An artist’s worst enemy is time, and I’ve found a superpower to combat it.
How did you choose the design and personality of the teddy bear? Were there any specific elements that inspired its appearance and character?
I’ve always been called Nounours and that’s how people saw me, because I’m big and imposing, so it was obvious that I was going to create a cuddly toy. My artistic style has always been largely inspired by manga and American comics. For the design of my characters, I was inspired by Takashi Murakami, who designed the cover of Kanye West’s album ‘Graduation’ (Ye), as well as the bow of Luffy’s boat (the Sunny) in One Piece. As far as his personality is concerned, I mixed a few traits from my mates and myself. I wanted him to be delirious, mysterious and completely mad all at the same time.
How did you bring this cuddly toy to life and what adventures has it had so far?
To bring my character to life, I always create a set in which I place him, then I concoct a situation for him, sometimes funny, sometimes more serious. Sometimes, as you can see in my real life work, I even make little animations. I couldn’t possibly list all the stories I’ve created for him, but each exhibition is a new adventure. At my last exhibition, I worked with the artist Youv Dee during his concert. It was a fun story about my bear helping Youv Dee to come into his own.
Speaking of collaboration, what would be your ideal collaboration?
I don’t have a specific collaboration in mind yet, but I’d love to develop an animated series around this character. My aim would be to distribute this cartoon on platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, etc.
You’re also the creator of a brand called Pluch univers, can you tell us more about it?
I created a world with this brand, and I wanted to show my style through other things, like clothes, home decor and other surprises. My aim was also to have fun creating items that were out of the ordinary. But the main aim of this brand is to arouse emotions, to bring out the child in you, to revive forgotten memories. Because if there’s one thing you can’t buy in this world, it’s memories. But I want to create memories with this brand too. That’s why I thought, who better than a teddy bear to carry out this mission? That’s why this project is called Pluch.
How do you see the impact of your work on the art world in general?
I find that the messages conveyed in the art world are often aggressive, shocking and hard-hitting, because it’s difficult to arouse emotions or provoke questioning through an image or a sculpture. I want to make people smile, bring joy and happiness and awaken memories. My message is much softer, my aim is to transport people into my world, to make them dream, to help them forget their everyday worries.
What advice would you give to artists who want to explore similar concepts and bring their creations to life?
I don’t really know what to say to them, apart from: be yourself, make your dreams come true, because that helps others to dream too. Become a source of inspiration, because it’s by becoming an inspiration that you can change the world.
If you had a piece of music that best reflected your personality?
It’s not my favourite song, nor the one I listen to every day, but it perfectly represents my daily mood: “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.