One day in Belleville

RISO zine

Sitting in my living room today where it never truly really gets light this time of the year. It’s been few weeks with no sun and just rain and a lot of deadlines for my MA studies. It is hard to believe that only this last September I was in beautiful Paris for a short but sweet time. It was sunny, delicious and full of inspiration.

When I came back after the trip I already had quite a few pencil sketches. I should make a zine, right?… How hard can it be? WELL…. :)

Let’s name it Belleville!

It was fantastic fun making this zine. Chaotic but fantastic, I learned so much. I also had a deadline: Oslo Zine Fair. All the ingredients for a successful completion: delusion, deadline and an access to a RISO machine.

The metal fences and balconies of Parisian buildings really inspired me. As a tourist I have these ideas in my head about the place, they are very superficial and definitely romanticized stereotypes. These metal shapes echoed my outsider idea of Paris and the shape of croissants and the shape of the sound of French language.

One of the streets which served a diverse collection of metal window guards was named after Gregory of Tours. He wrote excessively about the time he lived in. Including about my favorite queen - Fredegund, born 543. And somehow through thousand years Fredegund also has these twirly metal shapes in my head. Certainly not because of her sweetness or delicacy but because of her schemes, sharp intellect, innovations and complex strategic actions she took.

organising pages

The drawings are based on somewhat real events and people. It’s a time capsule for the moment through my eyes in a particular place and time. Documenting quiet mundane life and little joys.

What colour is Belleville? And what colours can I do with RISO? It had to be limited palette. I set on orchid and after some experimentation on yellow.

It’s an ode to these two colours and the moody mauve they make.

assembly line

Most pictures are A5 size, with little notes on the back of the drawings, to create an atmosphere and add a little sound and nice page turning rhythm to the zine.

Two of the pages are A6.

There is a couple on a bridge, and there is a collection of street signs, a poetic depiction of few days in Belleville (ish).

Little dust cover is a folded and wiggly yellow, with orchid ink. Only 33 copies made.

Bound with removable staples, take them apart and you have a collection of mini prints. Keep them together and you have a zine.

The delivery is free worldwide! You can find the zine here.

Talk to you soon!

Viktorija