Antaimoro paper is made from the bark of the Avoha, a tree endemic to the southern region of Madagascar. The bark, after being dried, is boiled and then reduced to a paste by mixing it with water. It is then spread out and dried in the sun and moonlight. It is a very delicate work where all the work is done by hand. This results in a paper of a particularly high quality that is resistant to time.
Since my childhood, I have had notebooks, postcards or bags made of this paper. I never really dared to write or draw on them because I found this paper so beautiful that I was afraid of losing what I loved so much.
When I am on the road in Madagascar, I prefer not to drive and take pictures of what I see outside, scenes of life taken quickly that will never happen a second time in the same way. For several years now, I have kept these photos knowing that I wanted to use them as references for my work. What I really like about these photos is the fact that no one is recognisable, sometimes the figures are distorted or blurred, which makes me realise that they are memories, full of life, movement and emotions of a land that I cherish so much but which is far away from my daily life. When I put these words on what I thought everything became clear: the ink on the Antaimoro paper will express exactly the same feeling.
