Dreamer, doer, drawer: Garance Senes

This month in Après Diaries, we're under the storytelling spell of Garance Senes.

A French tattoo artist, cartoonist and world builder, she's made a mark on our dreams.

Sit down with us as we delve into her ability to harness every sweetly nostalgic nuance.

 

 

 

To properly introduce you, what are your nicknames?

French nickname is Gagou, my friends call me like this everyday! And because Garance is complicated to pronounce for English speakers, I just tell them to call me Neo as I’ve gotten used to using it as my artist name haha.

 

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Paris until I was 12 years old but then my dad got a job in Zürich so we all moved to Switzerland. French childhood and Swiss teenagehood!

 

 

 

 

How do you think this has influenced who you are today?

To be honest it took me a long time to notice that leaving Paris had actually influenced who I am today. Paris can be very overwhelming and I remember having a lot of trouble expressing myself as a kid. Moving to a new city breaks the pattern. The school I was in was extremely tiny, and I feel like you develop your uniqueness more easily when you’re in a class of 10 and you’re not “drowning” in a big city... 

 

 

 

Do you have any idols? Why/why not?

I have idolized so many people in my life and never understood the need of always doing this while growing up. Had posters of Selena Gomez, Robert Pattinson, Cara Delevingne (this one was intense) all over my room and there were so many others. Today, I might reconsider the word idol and say I have role models! I think it’s important to have them at some point, for character building!

 

 

 

 

Coffee order?

Two choices; it’s either a latte or a matcha latte with coconut milk. I go crazy for the second one.

 

Do you have any current obsessions?

I’m obsessed with very beautiful and (expensive) electric bikes right now. I only bike in Paris and at some point you become so obsessed with anything bike related that your non-biker friends start being annoyed. Also very much obsessed with heels right now, although I’ve never worn heels. 

 

 

 

What are your top three songs of all time? 

This is an impossible question to answer but I’ve been preparing for this my whole life. I’ll have to go with For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder, Vienna by Billy Joel and it’s really hard to choose between these two but Littlest Things by Lily Allen and Touch by Daft Punk!!!

Death row meal?

Chicken Karaage with Japanese curry sauce. Make the chicken perfectly fried and I can die in peace after that. 

 

Best thrift find?

A Chanel silk and cashmere top with detachable sleeves which in girl math means I bought two Chanel tops for the price of one! The price was a steal. 

 

 

 

 

Where is your favourite place in the world?

My grandparents house in Le Touquet, in the north of France, we go there for Christmas. I’m probably at my prime happiness when I’m sharing a bed with my little sister and all we do is watch movies and eat chocolate in bed and do Korean beauty masks. 

 

 

Still or sparkling water?

Still but recently had a weird phase and convinced myself it was more adult to drink sparkling? I still don’t like it.

 

Have you got a favourite piece of furniture you own? Where is it from?

Yes I do and it’s a genuine Joe Colombo sideboard/cabinet from the 1960s. I love it with all my heart. It was given to me for my birthday by my friend’s ex boyfriend (I know, what the hell). 

 

 

 

 

 

What would thirteen year old Garance think of your life today?

She’d be absolutely too stunned to speak. I have always dreamt of making drawing my main job and not only am I doing this but I’m also making permanent drawings on people’s skins and traveling the globe at the same time. She’d also be so happy to see she’s well surrounded and still loves fashion but can actually buy clothes with her own money hahaha.
Thirteen was a rough age in terms of confidence, and I think she’d be pleased to see how far she’s come. 

 

Do you have a favourite drawing you’ve done?

Yes! But it’s never really one drawing, I call them short illustrated thoughts and it’s a slide of 5-8 drawings with text.
The one that I feel most attached to is the story about dealing with sadness and how you can let it exist even when it takes up an entire room. It’s about processing emotions, not wanting to move on and realizing that you don’t always have to.
I love writing and drawing about the in-between of precise emotions, the grey area where you don’t know where you stand at all. 

 

 

 

 

What’s your most worn outfit at the moment?

Oversized pair of jeans with ballet pumps and a slightly cropped t-shirt that hits just above the waistband so you can see some skin! A big bag and a few rings, black Rayban Wayfarer sunglasses, and this is me. 

 

Who would you have dinner with, dead or alive?

I want to have dinner with Adam Sandler, Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen because this would be the funniest dinner to ever attend. But that’s a men's table and if I’m really honest, I kind of want to have deep conversations with Princess Diana, like hello? Girlie has literally so much to unload. 

 

 

 

 

How many tattoos do you have? Is there a favourite?

I currently have 16 tattoos and my favourite one changes every month. Right now it’s the sailor on my shoulder. 

 

Do you have any self-imposed rituals?

I write in my journal daily and whenever I do that, I rewind and reflect on my day or the previous one if I’m writing in the morning.  I also like to take myself to the restaurant at least once a month and enjoy my own company.

 

 

 

 

Favourite pair of shoes you own or wish to own?

My answer will forever be the black patent leather Mary Janes I got from Carel. They are the cutest and most chic pair of shoes I own and they hold memories and inspiration. I see them more as a signature because all of my characters wear them.

 

Something you’ve lost that you always think about?

The first comic book that I ever made when I was 12… It breaks my heart whenever I think about this. It took me almost a year to make it and I even remember the name of the book and every single drawing inside !! If my mom finds it randomly one day I swear I'll burst into tears.

 

The soundscape of Garance: