Portrait
09 October 2019

Rylsee – The artist who likes to play with letters

by Laëtitia Cadiou


Typography, design, graffiti are all playgrounds for Rylsee. The journey of a complete and happy artist.

We met Rylsee during an introductory workshop to typography led by the artist in parallel with his last exhibition Grey Zone in Geneva. This artist with a youthful look but with a sharp pencil stroke, warmly accepted to answer our questions.

Cyril Vouilloz’s career before becoming Rylsee?

I spent half of my life on a skateboard, I made my apprenticeship in the oldest skateshop of Geneva TranZport, coming out of this adventure with a CFC management and sales with in addition a pro commercial maturity.

One year after my apprenticeship, I happened to visit the Art Deco studios in Geneva and see a lot of creative people who look very happy to be at school, I think I could be one of them. I register, I pass the entrance exam, and 4 years later, I come out with a second CFC in my pocket. This time in graphic design with also a Maturité pro artistique.

After these studies, I felt stuck in a gray area, not graphic designer enough to go to a high school of graphic design, not arty enough to go painting with my sex at the fine arts… so I decided to go traveling and learn from people who would cross my path. I started by Vancouver in Canada for a year, then São Paulo to finally arrive in Berlin in 2012, where I still live.

Rylsee > Cyril in “verlan” has become a brand? Thanks friends?

Rylsee is what my friends call me, it’s actually from the verlan. It’s a nickname that’s stuck ever since.

At what point did you realize that creation was going to become important?

I’ve always had it in me, actually. So it’s not really something I’ve been questioning, I just feel that creating beautiful things and bringing people together with them is the reason I’m here on earth.

How long have you lived in Berlin?

I arrived in Berlin a bit by chance, following a girl there in early 2012. It was at the same time that I met the team that would become my BERLIN family, the URBAN SPREE team. An alternative cultural center in the heart of the city, mixing music and visual art.

Today I still live in Berlin with my wife and daughter, and my brother Yann who joined us almost two years ago.

You surf between typography, graffiti, design, how to name your art?

It’s always a difficult question, I like to say that “I play with letters”.

Did you start with one of these artistic categories?

I have always been passionate about images, and I am often told that I have a very fruitful imagination. So I have always tried to express it in every possible way. 🙂

You’re not going to like this question…An art label?

It seems that people, as much as I do, find it difficult to put a single label on my work. I don’t have anything against labels, actually, it would be handy to explain my work in a nutshell, but I haven’t been able to do that yet. Any suggestions?

© Gabriel Balagué

© Gabriel Balagué

Grey Zone is your first solo exhibition?

Not far from there, I have presented my work in many countries over the last 10 years, but I haven’t had a solo exhibition in my hometown since 2013.

Why the name GREY ZONE?

GREY ZONE describes the feeling I have had for a very long time about my creativity. Indeed I felt stuck between all these things that make me vibrate, graffiti, typography, skateboarding, illustration… I felt “stuck” in a kind of gray area, an area where it’s difficult to hang a label.

After years of doubt and hard work, this grey zone has now become my strength, my difference, my personality.

Is Geneva the first city for this exhibition?

The first and only one!

I wanted to create something especially for my city, to try to inspire people and show that despite the international attention my work receives, I don’t forget where I come from.

What is your relationship with Switzerland and Geneva?

I love Geneva and Switzerland. The fact that I have been living in other countries since 2010 is a bit of a chain of circumstances. Having said that, I come back several times a year because I have my family, my homies, my roots.

First exhibition where you invited color, was your partnership with Caran d’Ache a trigger?

Absolutely, after our first collaboration, about a year ago, and the visit to the color production plants, I felt like getting out of my comfort zone and jumping into the water.

Another source of inspiration than colors is my wife, the artist Rommy González (@RommyGon) who excels in the use of all color ranges. I think that within each other it seemed natural to me to try to color my creations. That said, I still feel more comfortable in black and white.

© Gabriel Balagué

© Gabriel Balagué

Tell us about your collaboration with Caran d’Ache How did it start?

Our first collaboration was a campaign for their new “claim your style” line of their famous 849 pen. I had created a series of trompe l’oeil illustrations featuring this pen.

It was a great experience, as much on a work level as on a human level, we have since become friends and future collaborations are more than likely 😉

The mythical pen 849 Caran d’Ache by Rylsee

When Caran d’Ache informed me that they were willing to support my new exhibition and workshops, the idea of creating a special series of the iconic 849 pen came to mind. An exclusive and limited series of 100 pieces of the 849 was therefore created especially for the Grey Zone exhibition. The design is intended to be simple, uncluttered but with many fun details hidden inside.

For this design, I was inspired by the “sound effects” that I often make when I draw. I registered myself saying: CARAN D’ACHE – RYLSEE – GENEVA. Then I took the visual of the soundtrack from my voice and translated it into a visual. I also incorporated details related to Geneva such as a water jet and a sign as well as little “glitch” as I like to do in my graphic work. The result is a beautiful matte black pen with a satin white design. My favorite detail is that my pen has black ink.

Last but not least, we decided to donate 100% of the sales of this pen to the foundation: PAINT A SMILE of which Caran d’Ache is a partner. It is a foundation that invites artists to decorate children’s hospitals in order to make these places more pleasant for young patients.

photos@nowgeneva

Any other collaborations?

Yes a lot, I regularly work with major brands for different artistic projects. To name a few, NIKE, HP, IKEA, OPINEL, MOLESKINE…

Halfway between art and design, my work applies to giant murals as well as product designs. I love the challenge of collaborating with brands and these projects sometimes take me down paths I would never have taken otherwise.

You’ve launched your fashion and design brand, so is your creative approach guided by that?

I grew up in street culture, between skateboarding, graffiti and hip-hop, fashion has always had an important role in my life. After having worked several times with brands, I wanted to be able to create a project that would represent my vision of this culture and share it with people who recognize themselves in what I do.

My brother and I created the SNEEER label about three years ago and the snowball effect doesn’t stop. I think people like SNEEER because it reflects a slightly offbeat view of a culture/fashion that we love. Humor is definitely one of our driving forces with slogans like BEST COOL or TOO SHY TO RAP! people can show their light love for this street culture sometimes a bit too serious. 🙂

©Sneeer, collection Automne-Hiver 2019

©Sneeer, collection Automne-Hiver 2019

Is your artwork targeted and in trend? Or on the contrary a logical follow-up of your artistic research?

It may seem contradictory, but I think I create outside of trends without ignoring them.

I love fashion, graphic design, music etc. and the culture that emanates from these disciplines. But my inspiration comes from real life, from my daily life, from people, from the street. My works are generally the result of an internal and personal reflection of the world around me sprinkled with a touch of humor. 🙂

You are surrounded by your whole family, your brother is your agent and we met your mom at the show, a necessary balance?

It’s wonderful to have the chance to realize these beautiful projects with my family and the people I love. I think that the team spirit makes me/us stronger and our projects take on a bigger dimension, it’s an artistic and social experience at the same time that we live together. Beautiful moments that I am happy to be able to share with all these people. 🙂

Any upcoming projects?

Redecorating my daughter’s room!

Your favorite artist, architect, designer?

Mother Nature

A source of inspiration?

Everyday life

Who would you dream of collaborating with?

Perhaps with the city of Geneva for a project of giant metal sculpture (and skateboarding) in a public place. That would be so cool! I’m all set!

What can we wish you?

Health 🙂

Rylsee.com
#rylsee / @rylsee