Zoé Coulon & Dali
ph. Lucas Charrier
text by Clara Bouteille
Dali is a small creature but also Zoé's main source of inspiration. Her life is structured around walks in the "petite ceinture", her work as an illustrator and the weekly brushing of her Italian greyhound's teeth.
An inspiration…
“My name is Zoé, I'm a freelance illustrator in Paris. For 5 years I worked in fashion, and finally I decided to start my own business at the same time I took Dali, my dog. I think Dali consoled me with the idea of freelancing, as I absolutely did not want to have a pet and leave it alone all day in a flat. Living with my dog on a daily basis while working from home proved to be beneficial to my inspiration. I realise that it has been a small change in my life, because of the burden of caring for a little being.
My family has a very special relationship with animals. I used to go to the countryside where there were dogs, horses, cows, turtles... So today I am more comfortable drawing animals than humans.”
A practice…
“I often compare him to a little house elf. Dali is a funny creature, in his gestures, his attitudes, he has very human expressions in addition to being a lover of green beans. In my illustrations I think I draw the world of Dali, scenes from our daily lives. I get inspiration from walks, from my home, or from my surroundings. Dali has adapted to the rhythm of my work, he is very quiet until 6pm, when we go for a walk in "La petite ceinture". It's a very quiet place, very natural and pleasant. Dali is an Italian greyhound, very shy, it is difficult for me to walk him in the street so this walk is ideal. He is afraid of absurd things, like a plastic bag or a fly.”
Tooth brushing…
“When I decided to get a dog, I did a lot of research, for instance the breed club, which you can find on the internet. As a child I had the "breed book" which allowed me to recognise all the dogs with ease.
For example, I discovered that teeth in greyhounds can become very problematic with age. A good example is "Tika", a greyhound known on instagram. Therefore, I brush Dali's teeth 3 times a week. My whole life has a rhythm with him, we have our rituals. Dali has given me a lot in my daily life, I have discovered a personality with him. Originally, I'm not very sociable, but on walks, the dialogue with other owners can be very pleasant because it focuses on our dogs, there is no social pressure.”
Zoé Coulon aka @faune_studio
