Anne Laval

A World of Shape and Colour

Working from her studio in Strasbourg, France, Anne Laval creates art that merges vibrant colours, playful forms and an experimental approach to materials. Her career as a designer and illustrator spans a wide range of disciplines, including children’s books, theatre posters and illustrations for publications such as The New Yorker. Whether designing exhibitions or exploring new techniques, her work is rooted in a fascination with nature and the stories it tells. Inspired by the nearby mountains and countryside, Anne balances time in her home studio with the creative energy of a shared workspace, where collaboration with other artists brings unexpected ideas to life.

Fluid Forms and Vibrant Energy

Anne’s creative process generally begins with small sketches in her notebooks, drawn with coloured pencils, before evolving into large-scale experiments that blend gouache, pastels and hand-carved stamps. She seeks tools and methods that allow for spontaneity, valuing the accidental moments that bring a sense of movement to her work. Nature is a recurring theme in her art, from the undulating lines of mountains to the tiny treasures collected on country walks. Increasingly, she experiments with the dynamics of volume, crafting wooden objects and toys that bring her illustrations into three-dimensional space. Colour is a central focus, with ultramarine blue and vermilion red among her favourite tones. “Sometimes I’m touched just by the combination of two colours,” she explains, reflecting the emotional weight that colour carries in her work. Inspired by artists like Matisse, Alexander Girard and Fredun Shapur and the purity of their shapes and hues, her art transcends the boundaries of traditional media, creating pieces that are tactile, joyful and full of life.