Fabienne Meyer works with oil either on paper or unprimed canvas and wishes her days were longer and that she had more time since the urge to create is omnipresent. The Berlin based artist lets us in on life in the city, life philosophy, sources of inspiration and the love for Goonies – the movie. TWWP in partnership with Wall of Art.
“Right now, I’m looking forward to the end of the year when things slow down a bit, and I can gather my thoughts. 2021 was a lot of things, and I can’t really put how I’m doing into words. But I’m also grateful for a lot & thinking about these things & people makes me very happy, I guess.
If I were to describe myself? I’m not the biggest fan of labels, so that’s always a hard thing to do in three lines, but I’ll try. I love creating things and telling stories, and I think that’s what I’ve been doing since I was a child in everything I do. I run a PR agency, where I constantly look for exciting stories, and when I’m at my studio, I continue to tell them in my paintings. Creator or dreamer would probably fit best if I had to choose a word to describe myself.
At the beginning of my artistry, I tried to find my groove and a voice & style that was uniquely me. Nowadays, my style is always changing in that I’m constantly evolving, and I find that to be the most authentic realization. Currently, I love working on series — I get inspired by something, research it, draw the first sketches, and then try to make a series out of it. Usually, I draw a lot on my iPad because it’s just more convenient. Then I turn the ideas into oil paintings either on paper or unprimed canvas.
I get my inspiration from children’s movies of the 80s, especially The Goonies. No joke, but that’s not my only inspiration, naturally. I love American pop culture, and recently I started painting people, something I haven’t done at all before. So, gestures and relationships are a huge inspiration for me right now. Apart from that, a color combination or the edge of a chair might spark my painting.
My life philosophy is to be brave and kind – always! I like to push myself out of my comfort zone; for example, I enrolled in an acting class last year and really had to put it all out there. Since then, I try not to be afraid of situations that much anymore and be true to myself. Being kind and loving is also eternally important to me. Hate comes too easily, so I try to love instead.
I wish my days were longer and that I had more time. The urge to create is omnipresent, and I want to be and do so much — I have to learn to chill, I guess, but since I’m a huge film buff, I have a way to cope, haha. Painting wise, I want to go back to creating more large-scale artworks since that’s where I feel most a home.
"I guess that’s why I never think of being an artist as a job but rather as being a storyteller. When I was young, I went to art classes with my mom, exhibitions with my dad, and grew up in a very artistic house — so I guess I always just wanted to continue doing these things."
I always knew that I’d have to create and express my thoughts and ideas in an artistic way. I guess that’s why I never think of being an artist as a job but rather as being a storyteller. When I was young, I went to art classes with my mom, exhibitions with my dad, and grew up in a very artistic house — so I guess I always just wanted to continue doing these things. Today I’m very happy doing the things I love and feel eternally grateful to be able to do them.
When I moved to Berlin, I thought it was just for a while, and I was seriously scared of it (comfort zone). But I was so surprised that Berlin is much greener and kinder than I expected. And even the rough Berlin ways are charming most of the time. You can unapologetically be yourself, and art & artists are really supported here. Also, I met the most caring people, and some of my hometown friends moved here, so I have a great community.
Besides my apartment, where I spend a lot of time, I love being outdoors here! Tempelhofer feld or Viktoriapark are two of my favorite places, and I love my little Bergmannkiez area. For dancing, I really like Monarch, since it reminds me of my favorite bar back home. The Black Lodge bar is also a really special place since it is heavily inspired by Twin Peaks — a must-visit for any David Lynch fan.
“I wish my days were longer and that I had more time. The urge to create is omnipresent, and I want to be and do so much — I have to learn to chill, I guess, but since I’m a huge film buff, I have a way to cope, haha. Painting wise, I want to go back to creating more large-scale artworks since that’s where I feel most a home.”
My favorite place is my home — I guess I’m a collector, and surrounding myself with things I cherish and that have a personal history is so calming. It’s a colorful mix of second-hand treasures and design classics. We have two beautiful old double doors that connect the bigger rooms, making it a very open, welcoming space (although it’s not huge). I’m a big fan of movie posters, so there are a lot of them, although not all of them have found a space on a wall yet. I’m not a minimalist — creative chaos is the coziest feeling!
In my head, when I think of a perfect day, I immediately think of a day where I create from morning till evening. But that’s not healthy, so I try to picture something more relatable: I’m a morning person, so I wouldn’t get up that late. It’s Saturday. There’s a chocolate + green smoothy breakfast (best combination), and I’d watch old Disney cartoons like Hercules or Darkwing Duck with my favorite human. Then I’d sit on the floor, start painting for a couple of hours, and end the day in a bar with friends. Good movies while painting is a must and non-negotiable.
When I was a child, I’d always be sad about the fact that I couldn’t be a child forever — I loved being a careless quirky kid performing, painting and writing all the time. Even then, I consumed stories all day long in the form of audiobooks, music or movies. Not much has changed, I guess, except for taxes.
When I was a child, I’d always be sad about the fact that I couldn’t be a child forever — I loved being a careless quirky kid performing, painting and writing all the time. Even then, I consumed stories all day long in the form of audiobooks, music or movies. Not much has changed, I guess, except for taxes.
I still can’t see where I’ll be in five years. I have a very consuming job, and a lot is planned already for the next couple of years. I want to be happy and really enjoy every second of life — I guess I’ve become very appreciative of everything I have lately. With art, so much has happened just over the past six months, so I dream big, of course. But I’ll still be happy if that isn’t the case. That’s the thing, if you’re an artist, you constantly put yourself out there for critique — you shouldn’t create art only for others.
My friends would probably laugh and say, “when is she ever not working?” There hasn’t been that much free time in my life lately, but I consider myself so lucky to be able to create all the time, so for me, it doesn’t feel like work. I love watching movies, and I’m so happy that I can finally go to my favorite cinemas again! Lately, I started swimming, sports are really not something I enjoy doing, but it’s important to take care of yourself.