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" Following his first British exhibition, French artist Leyman Lahcine has created an exclusive illustration for Harper\u2019s Bazaar (above), inspired by his first summer in London after relocating from New York. Here, Frances Wasem talks to the artist about the illustration and his work.\u00A0 Tell us a little about the illustration\u2026 It\u2019s a revisited coat of arms. I called it &amp;#039;The Tea Party&amp;#039; as tea is the national beverage and I wanted to celebrate that element of English culture. The Unicorn, which appears on the British coat of arms, is coming out of a gentleman&amp;#039;s head in my drawing to give it a surrealist twist. I was inspired by an image of England stuck in the 1920s.\u00A0 &amp;#039;The Tea Party&amp;#039; can be purchased at leymanlahcine.com How would you describe your art?\u00A0 \u00A0 I never know how to answer this question, but I think that dark and humorous is a good description. I like to use humour as it instantly connects with people and balances the darkness of my drawings. British people are very good at laughing in the face of adversity too, so it was appropriate for this drawing. Which artists do you admire? \u00A0 Many different artists have inspired me at different times of my life. Nicole Claveloux, Phillippe Caza and Harry Clarke shaped my imagination as a child. Dark, beautiful and sarcastic, with a strong visual aspect \u2013 there is something about their work that makes you react instantly and allows you to delve deep into the imagination.\u00A0 \u00A0What inspires you? \u00A0 I take inspiration mostly from films - my favourite is The City of Lost Children by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. It&amp;#039;s a film that I&amp;#039;ve been watching at least once a year since I was a child. The music, the d\u00E9cor and the atmosphere all inspire me. It makes me forget about reality, then when the film finishes, my reality somehow becomes like the film.\u00A0 Living in New York and the city\u2019s energy has also influenced me. Waking up, working two jobs, coming back home, trying not to forget the reason why I moved there, keeping an eye on my goals and convincing myself it was worth while. New York is like being on a roller coaster that never stops. It brought strong feelings out of me that I turned into drawings.\u00A0What are the recurring themes in your work? Quite a lot of what I do is instinctive and therefore it isn&amp;#039;t always a conscious decision. There are some themes that do reoccur though - like birds (which represent freedom,) skulls (which represent a darkness beneath the fa\u00E7ade) and nudity (to throw up discussions on vulnerability and sexuality). But when I begin a drawing I try to allow my subconscious to guide me in the moment.\u00A0 \u00A0What do you like about living in London? \u00A0 I\u2019ve been in London for about five months now and I think it\u2019s the people that make it cool. Everyone I&amp;#039;ve met is really nice, creative, interesting, and also, unpretentious - New York can be so hard and dry. It\u2019s so much easier when everyone is polite. The British really do have good manners! \u00A0What do you think is the biggest difference between London and New York? \u00A0 It\u2019s hard to answer, without making sweeping statements, but from my experience Americans are not very culturally or geographically aware. Religion plays a big part in their lives, even among the youth, which I find strange. London is culturally more integrated, more that any city I\u2019ve ever been to. \u00A0Where would you recommend a friend go to for the \u2018real\u2019 London? Gaz\u2019s Rockin Blues at St Moritz Club in Soho on Thursdays to see Jake Vegas DJ; the Pelicans and Parrots bar in Dalston; Tate Modern and Golborne Road for the best Moroccan street food vendors.\u00A0 \u00A0Where do you go for a good British cup of tea? The Bridge in Shoreditch - a quirky coffee house under the bridge that\u2019s full of curiosities.\u00A0 \u2022\u2022\u2022 MORE BAZAAR ART The highlights from Frieze Art Fair New YorkThe 2014 Turner Prize shortlistV&amp;amp;amp;A announces Horst P. Horst retrospective "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/culture/bazaar-art/news/a30422/in-conversation-with-leyman-lahcine/>