Artist Marylou Herbert has been splashing walls in Bahrain with visuals that can set the mood for their spaces and actually make onlookers stand and stare. She talks to Behnaz Sanjana about how this came about.
The blow-up of a woman’s face on a café’s wall gives the space a fresh, cheerful vibe; the interiors have a personality that guests can immediately associate with it. The powder blue background and gold details in the strikingly lifelike eyes and the floral imagery around her reflect elements from the café’s décor, making the mural cohesive with the overall interior. The larger-than-life visual could easily be thought to be a print, but is, in fact, the detailed handiwork of Marylou Herbert.
“I like to work on huge spaces,” says Marylou. “My art sometimes takes a few months to complete”.
But this is not the genre of art that Marylou learnt at art school in France. “I was taught the very classical form of art; like you would see, for instance, in Versailles. Gold leaves, patina, and all that.” An offer to intern with a French company in Bahrain lured her to the island’s sunny shores, and she was happy to stay on when they employed her fulltime. Two years on, Marylou decided to branch out on her own. “The company was into more of French classical art and decorative painting, and I wanted to express myself with contemporary art, so I decided to start my own business four years ago.”
She wasn’t sure whether it would all work out for her, but the gutsy youngster listened to her heart and took a leap of faith anyway. “I was only 24 at the time,” she says. “It did sound like a crazy idea, but I had nothing to lose, so I tried. And word about my work spread and soon I realised that I could live my dream!”
The timing was perfect, as little cafés and classy terrace restaurants were beginning to pop up in Bahrain, and were on the lookout for someone to add a touch of verve to their interiors. Needless to say, the first project was stressful. “It was for a new café, and I was nervous because I had to complete my work within a timeframe and ultimately the client needs to be happy with the end result,” she says. “A big smile on the client’s face is everything.”
Marylou has gone on to lend her artistic touch to many a popular venue in Bahrain, like Bushido, Gravity Village and Solymar beach amongst others.
She attributes her success to her versatility that allows her to give the client exactly what they’re looking for. “I do not stick to a particular style of art; I can be very flexible as per what the client wants. My background in interior design (I wanted to be an interior designer before Art attracted me) helps a lot, as I’m not just creating a mural, but lifting the look of the overall space.”
Marylou now works with her business partner, Arnaud Rothfuss, whose artful skill she admires. “I think he really brings something to my art,” she says. “Our work is complementary; he is amazing with spray cans and I bring more detailing with my brushes. That way, we create great paintings together. It also helps to have two heads presenting ideas to the client. He comes up with amazing ideas and concepts, to which I can apply technical details.”
Marylou scoffs at the common notion that running a business in art is all about painting and creativity. “Besides the painting, it’s endless meetings with clients, hours spent on photoshop to present samples of the artwork, buying paints and materials, coordinating deadlines and work schedules with contractors, email exchanges, social media management and so much more,” she says. “The actual work of painting is just 30 per cent of the whole project. It looks easier than it is.”
Although she thinks the art scene in the Middle East is still nascent compared to that of Europe, she thoroughly relishes being part of it in Bahrain. “The art scene here has just exploded in the last few years and there is so much opportunity for artists of all types on this island,” she says. In the near future, Marylou has bagged some prestigious public and private projects in her kitty. “I love sharing my art with others, where it can be seen, at the same time I also enjoy doing pieces for private villas and VIP residences,” she says. “Doing business in Bahrain has been the best decision I have made!”
