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Imagery of babies: meeting Christelle Mekdjian, plasticine star
In her workshop in the family home, Christelle Mekdjian delicately creates the sets and characters that will delight toddlers. A mushroom, a strawberry, a whale or even a butterfly… she shapes her creations with meticulousness, no detail escapes her fairy hands. In a few weeks, we will find his little fellows in bookstores in a book that has become a reference for 0-3 year olds: The Imagery of Babies from Fleurus editions.
Very quickly, his creations are spotted
Christelle Mekdjian has always had an artistic streak. While she began a career in advertising, she had fun in the evenings designing little animals from plasticine. His achievements hit the mark. He is offered to integrate them into advertising campaigns. Crédit du Nord, Cetelem, SNCF, Française des jeux… curiously, it is more for serious subjects that we appeal to her. “I think the idea was to put humor back into things that weren’t,” she explains. My naive, colorful creations seduced. “
Imaging babies: a new adventure
The 2000s marked a turning point in his career. Now a mother, Christelle Mekdjian takes a keen interest in children’s literature. Convinced that her plasticine characters could fit into the pages of children’s books, she contacted several publishers and it was finally Fleurus who decided to try the adventure with her. ““ We started with a primer to introduce the little ones to the letters of the alphabet, ”she recalls. The reception was immediately very positive and we continued with the collection of Imagery for Babies. More than ten years have passed and today this collection remains a bestseller among children. The books are translated into 24 languages. Christelle Mekdjian continues to make her creations in a completely artisanal way according to orders from Fleurus. “It takes me a month on average to create the characters and sets for a little book. I am very perfectionist, she confides. As soon as the models are finished and validated, I cook them in the oven and I can then carry out the finishing touches: glue, lacquer, sand… The advantage with fimo clay is that the range of colors is very wide. “
And now the Disney heroes
Last September, the heroes of the great Disney classics made their entry into the collection of early learning books. Another challenge for Christelle Mekdjian. “What a responsibility to have to reinterpret these mythical characters. I was honestly apprehensive, but against all odds, the work was very easy, as if my subconscious had already memorized these childhood heroes. I still had some difficulties, especially with Nemo, ”she smiles. You can find a copy of the Disney collection in the Parents issue, currently on newsstands.