New Folk: Maxime Manga

10th March 2021

The man behind the afro-futuristic collages

How did you get into illustration?

I would say totally by chance. In fact I was a little fed up with my wallpapers which were the same all the time and like everyone else I stole from Pinterest so, I decided to simply create my own.

Describe your style in three words

It's hard to sum up in just three words but, I would say that my creations are abstract, colorful and a little minimalist.

Who or what inspires your work?

I am inspired by a lot of things, it goes from mangas with their patterns to Make-up with just incredible artists. And the work of Joséphine Rais which is incredible !! I try to synthesize a lot of things in my designs. I use diversity to create uniqueness.


What excites you most about a project?


The people. It's exhilarating to work with creative people who want to convey a message, who work for a cause bigger than themselves. I find it just magical and that boosts creativity.

How do I start a project?

While listening to the music at full volume.

Something I would like to experience in the future?

Working in a fantastic super creative agency with people to laugh with. When you’re a freelancer, you spend a lot of time working alone, winning alone, losing alone and sometimes it's tiring. Being a freelancer has its positive and negative points.

What one bit of advice do you have for aspiring illustrators?

You have to work like crazy (I see my mother reminding me that gold is tried and tested in fire) so love what you do and become who you are!


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