Nathalie Lete exuberates pure talent. An artist through and through, her work isn’t restricted to one medium but rather spans entire industries: from fashion to stationery, ceramics to toys. Indeed, her whole lifestyle seems to revolve around art as can clearly be seen from the many snippets she shares on Instagram.
Lete’s house (an overgrown dollhouse that she nurtures with her husband and daughter) is in and of itself a piece of art. “We like wood, the furniture of the 60s and 70s along with black, gold shades,” shared the artist in a recent interview with Amara, admitting that quarantine meant she could further tend to her home, decorating it as she pleased. This mainly meant painting her walls with blooming flowers.
“What I liked especially was the idea of [creating] your own world, kind of a nest, just filled with your own art,” she further shared in an interview with My Modern Met. “From wall paintings to the rugs, from the fabrics to the lamps and everyday dishes. The idea is that you can transform a simple place and furniture found on the street into something special and personal.”
Based in Paris, Lete draws inspiration from her mixed background and multicultural upbringing. Born in 1964 to a Chinese father and a German mother, her work is mainly influenced by folk art. Its naive quality means it can appeal to a wide audience – from children to adults.
“I’m inspired by nature, flowers, animals, insects… and also a lot by vintage toys…” notes Lete. “I also love textiles, folk art… all the applied art in fact. When I was a student, I once saw a book about the Bloomsbury Group (The Bloomsbury Group was an influential group of associated English writers, intellectuals, philosophers, and artists, including Virginia Woolf & E.M. Forester) and I fell in love with this atmosphere.”
Take a peek inside her home, and scroll down to see some recent projects:
