Meet the aesthete Jean- Baptiste Epron, Illustrator and Navigator Interviews
“I will never forget the smell of the Canadian Forest” Jean-Baptiste Epron, Illustrator and Navigator.
What is your strongest olfactory memory?
The most powerful, the strongest, dates back to my first crossing of the Atlantic between Saint-Malo and Quebec, shortly before arriving at the Canadian coast. In the early morning, we smelthe forest very strongly. The trees, the heather… A hundred kilometers before arriving, it already felt like we were in the middle of the Canadian forest.
What is the craziest declaration that has been made to you?
For a month and a half I received a letter every day, in which was written a signel word. After a month and a half, I put words in the right order and was able to put together this slightly long but really nice declaration.
What is the most unusual place you have ever been asked on a date?
A few years ago, I met a young woman with whom I sympathized and she suggested we meet again. What I didn’t know was that she was in charge of keeping an apartment for someone who was very famous. So she gave me the address, and the name to call on the intercom, and I was quite surprised. I arrived in a sumptuous, huge & incredible apartment. A very beautiful place.
Is perfume a source of inspiration in your creative process at work or in your life?
My drawings must smell like the sea. When we look at them, we should feel transported quickly and see ourselves in the middle of the ocean. So when I draw, very often the first feeling is a desire to move around, we close our eyes and breathe. When we breathe, we must have that a little acrid but oh so pleasant smell of the sea.
What is a perfume that you would like to find again?
I will never forget the scent of the first girl who kissed me for the first time. I have never encountered this perfume or this smell ever again. However, it is extremely vivid in my mind. I wish to meet someone wearing this scent and this time around, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask for the name and eventually buy myself a small vial to keep that scent as a souvenir.
Perfume and seduction, still relevant?
For me, seduction in 2020 is really all about gentleness, that is what we are lacking the most with the current situation, so to bring gentleness is the best way to seduce. At least, that’s how I see it
What is your favorite time of the day?
In the early morning, everyone is sleeping and most of the time you’re alone. You can fully enjoy the beautiful colors of the sunrise because of the absence of noise. I really like this part of my day, especially when it lasts.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Draw, draw as much as possible. And going to eat at a restaurant, I miss going to the restaurant so much, I think that for a week, I will eat outside everyday.