Nerone: “The dripping flowers I paint represent the cycle of life”

Born in 1983 in Bordeaux, Nerone is known for his colorful, floral and luminous style. Trained in visual communication, he discovered Graffiti during his teenage years. His style took shape in London in 2015, where he sought to break through the grey atmosphere of the city with his vibrant art. Based in Marseille, he collaborates with major brands in graphic design, adding his personal artistic touch. Represented by Urbaneez, his poetic and captivating artworks are among the most valuable pieces of the online gallery.

What was your background before becoming an artist, can you tell us?

After studying visual communication in Bordeaux, I moved to Paris to work in the graphic design industry. My end-of-studies internship in an agency turned into a longer-term opportunity, but it was a big company that offered me very little creative freedom. That is exactly when I realized that this lifestyle was not what I aspired to, and I didn’t feel like I belonged to. So, I started working as a freelance graphic designer, which allowed me to combine my professional skills with what I explored during my teenage years in Bordeaux: Graffiti.

On that point, how did you first get into Graffiti at that time?

My first encounter with art was through Graffiti. I started tagging around the age of 11, in the mid-1990s. I had just started middle school in Mérignac where I met lots of people into rap, hip-hop, and graffiti. It completely blew me away. I watched them painting, tagging, drawing, doing graffiti in their notebooks... and that’s when I said to myself, “This is amazing! They can really do that!” so I started to do it timidly. I then spent a lot of time with my best friend at the time, wandering through abandoned lots in the region. I observed all the graffiti that had been done there. We collected spray cans left by those who had painted before and use whatever paint was left to tag. We used what we could find in the streets, in vacant lots. I started painting letters, using my first graffiti artist's pseudonym: SKIR.

You have since changed your tag to Nerone, can you explain us why you did that?

You know, when you are doing illegal painting, you have a graffiti artist’s name, but you cannot keep that name once you start getting mural commissions. And by the time I was 17 or 18, I started to be solicited by friends, family, and acquaintances who wanted me to paint their bedrooms, cafés, restaurants... That is how I started earning a bit of pocket money. It was really this dynamic which motivated me to study graphic design. Especially as my parents met at the School of Applied Arts in Bordeaux, and although they did not make a career out of it, they gave me a passion for creativity and art. Later, when I was in Paris, I created a collective called “Le Coktail” with some artist friends, rappers, musicians and graffiti artists. It was a creative studio and we organized events together. We did not pay each other as it was just for the joy of creating, but what a joy it was!

Then in 2015, you moved to London. What did that experience abroad brought you?

Yes, I moved there with my fiancée to try our luck in London. At first, it was a bit difficult, as expected, but I managed to make some real connections there with agencies who hired me for various types of projects. I still go back in the UK from time to time. I collaborated with Netflix to paint their offices in London and did the same for The Economist’s headquarters. I also worked with Danone on an extensive project designing yogurt packaging and created a large mural for them in Shoreditch. I also continue to paint murals on walls for businesses or even some cafés, for example. I have been invited to festivals in Berlin, Istanbul, Seoul and Cartagena. I also went to paint in NY, Bangkok, Marrakech on my own initiative, bringing my artistic touch to the streets. I am often invited to paint my signature flowers.

Finally, how did flowers become your main favorite subject for your creations?

Honestly, it happened a bit by chance. I started painting flowers, neon lights and very colorful things when I arrived in London. I was painting alone, which changed the way I work, since Graffiti is usually a group activity. I found London to be a beautiful, dynamic, and creative city, but also an incredible dark city. In winter, it is pitch black by 3:30 p.m.! That is when I got the idea to paint huge flowers and large swaths of color, especially in the Shoreditch district. I also painted luminous neon lights that brought color and brightness to otherwise dark streets. The goal of my painting was to brighten the street. The contrast was powerful to me. That is how my style really emerged ten years ago. But I also paint flowers because I find them beautiful. Flowers represent life, the cycle of life, which is very inspiring to me. I also painted portraits of my fiancée with flowers on her face in a project called “About You” which is special to me as I have painted her in various places around the world.

What are the tools you often use?

I partner with a paint brand that has supported several of my projects in the United Kingdom and that produces paint which absorbs CO₂. In 2023, I used their material to paint the biggest wall of my life of 1’000 m2. It was one of Europe’s most polluted ports, so the idea was to use eco-friendly paint that absorbs pollutants. It was a real challenge, because we had to start with a primer layer across all 1’000 square meters! But when I work indoor or on canvas in my studio, I mostly use acrylic painting and airbrush. These techniques enable me to create drips and offer a similar effect to spray paint.

How do you create colors that look like they are glowing, such as for your neon art?

When it comes to achieve these luminous colors, I am used to making my own mixes of painting. I add white, fluorescent tone and I prepare my own paint pots. The grey sky of London really influenced and inspired me to go in that colorful artistic direction. I just had this strong desire to add light and color to our lives! Moreover, I liked the idea of painting flowers, something often associated with women. I use pictures of flowers that I rework, carefully redraw on paper with pencil before scaling them in large formats on walls or canvases…

Since 2022, you are based in Marseille…

Yes, I now have my studio in Marseille. I still work on canvases, but I also design posters for festivals. I still enjoy painting flops in the street sometimes, to keep that spontaneous graffiti spirit alive. I also take commissions, like a recent mural in Bourgoin-Jallieu near Lyon, or a project for the International Horticulture Festival in Seoul where I created a fully hand-painted floral structure, which was crazy! I also worked on the communication of the Festival “Poésie Urbaine” in Grasse, for which I also painted a mural. I am preparing new works for exhibitions that combine figurative art with floral elements.

Discover the profile of Nerone and his available artworks.