Lucas Burtin’s illustrations exist in a place “between science fiction and a Sunday stroll”

Throughout many of Lucas Burtin’s illustrations, single figures stand in deserted landscapes. And while they're not distressed, they look far from comfortable, and somewhat lost. This sense of being “lost” is a key facet of Lucas’ work. “I want my characters to be overwhelmed by their environment , like they should not really fit in this world,” he says. “I like to describe my work as a place between science-fiction and a Sunday stroll.”

Architecture plays a role in this sense of dislocation; realised with soft colours and clear lines, the buildings and cityscapes form a disconcerting uniformity. Primarily influenced by modern architecture, Lucas also sources inspiration from his Bordeaux hometown, where one specific district adopted an entirely unique architecture to the rest of the city – “it’s probably where I first felt out of place in a landscape,” Lucas adds.

Lucas takes a hands-on approach to his work. His pieces involve experimentations with colours and grains, through a repetitive process of printing, scanning, re-printing and so on. He also runs the collective Soleil d’hiver with artist Sun Bai, and together they recently purchased a Riso printer. “I like the idea of controlling and being led by the process of production,” Lucas ends.