My Hustle: Body Painter Lionel Géraud

DW (English)

Samson meets Beninese artist Lionel Geraud, whose hustle went from mechanical engineering to drawing breathtaking, spiritual patterns on glamorous models.

Transcript

00:00In the art of Kotonou, Béné Republic, colors are more than beauty.

00:05They are stories. Patterns are more than shapes.

00:08They are memories.

00:09And one young man has dedicated his life to bringing those stories to skin.

00:15My name is Lionel and this is my hustle.

00:19I've seen your work almost everywhere in town.

00:22And I must ask you, where do you get all these patterns from?

00:24Je suis d'origine Beninoise.

00:26I'm of Beninese, Togolese and Ghanaian descent.

00:30So I try to incorporate symbols related to my origins to tell stories, to convey messages like some related to Daome.

00:39So Lionel, do you have anything that is related and connected to Daome Kingdom?

00:45Come to see this piece.

00:46Okay.

00:47Wow.

00:48It's heritage because voodoo is our heritage here.

00:52So I try to depict the portrait of an Egungu.

00:57In the English word, we call this maskura.

01:00And also you can call it Egungu in Yoruba.

01:03Yes.

01:03So you also call it Egungu here in Béné Republic.

01:05Yes.

01:05Wow.

01:06I've seen all the patterns.

01:08I've seen everything.

01:10Now I want to see how you translate this pattern into painting.

01:14And most especially, I want to see how you paint, you know, people's body.

01:18Okay, I'll take you somewhere where you'll learn.

01:23You will learn how to paint on a body.

01:26So let's go.

01:29First of all, I'm used to working in nature.

01:32Most of my sessions take place outdoors.

01:35That's why Hydrokeke is the perfect place for me.

01:39This is our studio.

01:41We have the brushes there.

01:44We have the colors.

01:45Then we have the pencils.

01:46Okay.

01:46These are also brushes.

01:50These are pointed brushes for details.

01:52The flat brushes are for large patterns.

01:54I can feel we have the brush.

01:56We have the paint and everything is ready.

01:59But I'm wondering, where are we going to paint?

02:01Where's our canvas?

02:02Or are we painting on leaves or what?

02:04No, no, no, no.

02:06We're not going to paint on the leaves.

02:07But we're going to rather paint on models.

02:10They will come now, and you'll see it, right?

02:12Yes.

02:13Just one dot.

02:14It's the beginning of my inspiration.

02:18As a beginner, if you want to paint the face,

02:22you can start by here.

02:25And this.

02:26Oh, okay.

02:28Wow.

02:28It depends on the face, who is in front of me.

02:35Oh, okay.

02:36For a beginner like you, if you want, you can start from here.

02:43You see, like this.

02:44You make small dots here or small patterns.

02:48Femi.

02:49Wow.

02:50Guys, can you see that?

02:52How do you feel when your friends see you on social media?

02:55I feel really happy because it's a way for us to show our identity to the whole world,

03:01to express what Africa is through designs.

03:05Lionel conveys a message, a message that I'm proud to carry and show to people.

03:12Whenever you paint like this, how long does it stay on your body?

03:14Does it affect your skin?

03:16Well, it doesn't last.

03:17When you get in the shower and wash yourself, it comes off.

03:20It's not dangerous at all.

03:22You can remove it easily.

03:24So now, are we done?

03:26Yes, we're done.

03:27But I've got something special for you.

03:29Sorry?

03:30You're going to take off your clothes and we'll start.

03:33So guys, I'm sure this is the moment you guys have been waiting for.

03:36You want to use my body as a canvas.

03:39Let's go for it now.

03:41In just five years, Lionel has done more than painting faces.

03:45He is telling powerful stories through art.

03:48From working with top music video artists, to featuring mothers that proudly show off Benin's heritage.

03:56He is turning culture into something young people can see, feel and celebrate.

04:02And now, look at Lionel.

04:04Painting the map of Benar Republic.

04:07Carefully adding the image of a Gugu.

04:09A spirit that is honored every year during Fudu Festival.

04:14It isn't just art.

04:16It is history.

04:17It's pride.

04:18And honestly speaking, it is beautiful.

04:21Just look at me.

04:23Guys, how do I look?

04:24Today, I have learned that painting isn't just about color.

04:29It is a connection.

04:30Each brush stroke tells story older than we can imagine.

04:36My name is Sam Stine Adele K.

04:38And this is my hustle.

04:40Keep watching DW The 77%.

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