Nathalie Lete

Nathalie Lete was born in 1964. She lives and works in Paris.
She works in many ways, mixing different techniques and mediums, illustration, ceramics, textile and painting... She is inspired by her travels, but also by the mixing of vintage toys and old engravings of flowers and animals.
Her work is colourful, naive and poetic, sometimes strange, to the point of tending towards art brut. Her world is nurtured by popular and folk art from her both origins
(her chinese father and her german mother).
She produces children’s and graphic’s books, knitted and stuffed toys, glass pictures, patterned dishes, but also postcards, ceramic sculptures, silkscreen printed t-shirts, rugs and jewels in limited edition... both for herself and for commissions.

We are honored that Nathalie has answered
some quick questions for us so we can all get to know her a bit better, There is something incredibly magical about her
We hope she inspires you as much as she inspires us.

Self care tips:
No smoking, no alcohol, and eat always home made food,with less and less meat.To be closer with nature: Try to have a walk in the forest as often as I can... during the week it is difficult, but I’m on the way to do it more often as I would like to live more and more time in my countryside home.

How I stay productive:
I try to stay in my bubble. It is my protection from the outside world which I don’t like sometimes, In fact I’m a happy person when I live in my world and with the people I love. and when I’m happy, I’m productive because I love to work, I need it..each day must be a day of creation..sometime I think I should stop and just contemplate also, but after one two days, I need again to create and do something with my hands. I buy all kind of art books, fashion, decoration, art and craft, textiles, photography, old engravings, art… all inspire me a lot. I always have some books open on my table when I need to begin a work for myself or for someone.

Favorite paintings tools :
I always use acrylic paintings when I work in my studio; or on mywalls..i use the same on everything, even on furniture when I decide to decorate them... even on my shoes.. it is quite strong.
In Summer, I like to bring with me and box of water colors for kids, and a sketchbook, which is more light to paint on a little corner of table.

My creative process:
Cut out images in magazines, look at books, scroll on instagram , take screen shots, make a file with pictures i took at a museums, collect and buy toys and objects, then I have a kind of moodboard around me, which I always look at when I begin a new theme...
and once I have many artworks that I can share, I show them to the brands which whom I work with at that moment.. and most of them like to join me in my story and produce new collections with these designs…

Morning routine:
Natural wake up between 7 and 8 o clock,with day light...Wash my face first thing in the morning with orange blossom water, or the facial mist by Amly (amazing products from www.amlybotanicals.co.uk) I need these amazing smell on my face to boost the skin and uplift my soul.
If I wake up before my husband,
I do 20 minutes of Qi Gong before breakfast.

Artists that inspire me:
Mostly all the outsiders artists, and folk art... not really names, but amazing talented hands, devoted and obsessed hands, And craftsmen who are working a special materials, like glass, fabrics, wood, ceramics, I’m also inspired by all the Renaissance Italian Portraits, specially by the little blue landscapes which are often behind the faces; they make me dream. Bonnard and Vuillard for the colors and
vibrations..

Édouard Vuillard

Pierre Bonnard

For the painting walls: Charleston’s house from Bloomsbury group,
The house painted by outsider artist Maud Lewis, the houses painted by the women in the polish village Zalipie, the house by outsider artist: Picassiette in Chartres…

Maud Lewis

Picassiette in Chartres

the polish village Zalipie

Charleston’s house from Bloomsbury group

Music:
Einaudi for a calm atmosphere Soundstracks of birds, Billie Marten Lou Doillon Damon and Naomi Debussy, Bach,
Chopin…Chet Baker.

Movie:
All the Charlie Chaplin’s film, specially The Kid, and City Lights All the Satyajit Ray‘s films, specially “the Apu Trilogy”Japanese Movies, Ozu’s movies, Kurozawa’s movies specially Stray Dog.

Books:
Loved to read and read again all the books from Stephan Zweig
Also these from Aki Saki (pentalogie: Tsubaki, Hamaguri, Tsubame, Wasurenagusa, Hotaru) Always impressed by their sensibility to understand the human feelings.

Food:
A mix of sweet and salted, A mix of Chinese and german, my both roots.; Italian food The apple cake made by my grand mother, and now by my mother for christmas... have to learn to make the receipe myself, to give it then to my daughter.

Clothing brand:
I collaborate with so many brands now, that I don’t buy other clothes, just mix them alltogether, and with my old jeans pants and boots Some brands which whom I collaborate, Like ANTIPAST in Japan, they do beautiful quality of knits. PERO in India, do incredible embroideries, like Haute Couture, and reproduced my paintings inamazing works. SOCKS APPEAL, for our collection of socks…

Jewells:
My hands are covered with rings by my friend who has the brand DORETTE… I just love them. And my two dear friends PATCH NYC treats me with their necklaces when I see them, I loveto mix them all around my neck.

Dorette jewlery

Thank you for reading <3

Amanda Norgaard