Discover the portrait of Dalel Ouasli

TIPTOE through the eyes of an artist, what does it look like?

Constantly in search of inspiration, we gave carte blanche to artists to appropriate our pieces in their universe. What to mix two creative fields and discover TIPTOE under another glance. Today, we share with you the work of Dalel Ouasli. Her work is part of a contemporary reinterpretation of antiquity with a connection to the past and to nature.

Born in 1987, Dalel Ouasli lives and works in Aix-en-Provence. From a very young age, she has been driven by the desire to create and has therefore followed the path of art. Essentially self-taught, she also took courses in the Parisian workshops of Marie Boisson and Jean-François Courteaux to perfect her technique. Her work is a contemporary reinterpretation of antiquity with a connection to the past and to nature. Antiquity is for the artist a constitutive foundation of the life of the beings on earth, a return to the source which evolves and is told differently. She pays it a “statutory” tribute, and celebrates the sun, nature and the Mediterranean.

Hello Dalel, can you introduce yourself ?

After 6 rich years in Paris, I recently decided to move to the south of France where I grew up. What I like about the south is the special light, the proximity to the sea and nature and the rhythm that is unique here.

I have always had a taste for images, drawing and artistic handwork. I am largely self-taught and at the end of my studies, I had the chance to take painting classes in different Parisian workshops to perfect my technique and experiment with others. I then followed fascinating courses in art history at the Ecole du Louvre and I have just finished my studies this year at the Ecole des Arts de la Sorbonne.

Photo credit : Jeanne Perrotte

How would you describe your creative universe?

I think that my creative universe mixes several aspects. I like very much everything that has to do with Mediterranean art and in particular Etruscan art, Hispano-Moorish art, Greco-Roman architecture as well as the history and culture of the Mediterranean basin which are part of my identity. I also find it interesting to interact the curves of nature with the lines of the face and the human body. I have always been interested in the link between the human being and nature.

Where do you get your daily inspiration?

My universe is marked by a deep return to nature and to the original. My references are diverse but I find my inspiration mainly in mythology and Greek antiquity and I am extremely sensitive to the nature that surrounds us. In my painting I use a lot of shapes and colors that refer to these subjects and that evoke the Mediterranean. I can also be passionate about modern and contemporary artists such as Alexander Calder, Andrée Vilar and Jean Touret.

NOMA by Dalel Ouasli

Explain us how you wanted to reappropriate a TIPTOE object in this collaboration?

I wanted to bring my shapes and my world to life on the wooden top without completely altering the NOMA desk. I therefore opted for the realization of soft, harmonious and aesthetic forms to represent a face in profile, leaving visible the wood that I find very pretty. I used black paint, clean lines, light and spontaneous that invite us to meditation.

Why did you accept this project with TIPTOE ?

I found interesting the idea of being able to express myself on furniture, an idea I had already thought about and an experience I will definitely repeat! And then TIPTOE is an eco-responsible and quality brand that offers beautiful and durable products which I really like the contemporary and timeless spirit. Finally, I think it’s really clever and innovative to be able to use the removable legs as we wish.

Do you have a recent creative discovery to share with us?

I recently discovered the artist Elvira Solana and I have a lot of admiration for her work and especially her murals which have captivated me. Her works are at the same time very poetic and full of an incredible strength. I love Florian Touzet’s photographic work is absolutely sublime; he has an eye for highlighting light and capturing details with poetry and delicacy. Atelier Bufille works with clay with an undeniable talent and a perfect mastery. They produce superb ceramics that are not only evocative of traditional forms but also of a contemporary original design.