Welcome to
le journal de Gris
Condensed from my notebooks, I share in this journal my personal research and reflections on the evolution of the graphic universe of Death throughout the world and throughout history.
A subject as fascinating as it is moving!
Ethiopian prayer scroll
When design is no longer an ornament, but a bulwark!
Discover Ethiopian magic scrolls: interweaving prayers and illustrations, each custom-made scroll becomes a talisman against evil.
A ritual that has existed for millennia.
the power of images in ancient egypt
The magic of graphic design in death
We're all familiar with the majestic decor of their tombs and sarcophagi. But what we don't know is the power of images in their funerary rites. Not simply there to look pretty or to tell the story of the deceased, their main purpose was to protect and mark ONE truth - and sometimes even to transform it...
Magician, transgender, nerdy, let me introduce you to death as seen by the Egyptians.
the death closet, the ancestor of the announcement card
How was death announced in the past?
It was around 1630 that the first death notices appeared - large posters beautifully illustrated with macabre engravings.
Ancestors of the announcement card, they were the MEMENTO MORI of the people. A funerary art form sadly forgotten today...
why announce death today?
Is funeral stationery a dying tradition? Maybe not ;)
There used to be a certain tenderness and kindness in sending out a death announcement, wasn't there? A connection to each other and to our grief that has sadly disappeared today.
It was with this in mind that I developed the concept of animated death announcements. A poetic, modern alternative that brings beauty and tenderness to these sad moments.
death in video games
Who said the only purpose of a video game character was to fight the mega boss? Let me introduce you to 5 games that offer a different graphic vision of death: poetic, inclusive and meditative.
Games in which each character, in his or her own way, guides us through the virtual world, helping us to come to terms with the end.
Let's play!
What are psychopomps?
For thousands of years, they have populated our history with symbols rich in meaning and poetry. They're an essential part of the graphic world of death, yet we don't know how to name them... let me introduce you to these beings who guide the souls of the dead into the afterlife.
misfortune teller
Goodbye and hello!
What if we took the time to announce our losses and sadnesses... - those changes that can mark a life as much as the good times?
from love to death.
"It's kind of weird to bring up a subject like that at your age..."
Contrary to what my mother-in-law may think, you don't have to be Wednesday Addams or 60 to talk about death.
how and when to send condolences?
"I don't know what to say... What do you write in these cases?"
It's never easy to find the right words to express sympathy and support to someone who's grieving.
Here are a few ideas to help you write your condolences while remaining yourself.
Cobweb valentine
These "spider web" cards are as strange as they are romantic! Reminiscent of the Victorian era, they're real paper gems. Incredibly fine, let me introduce you to a stationery shop like no other.
The Hell money
Even the dead need money!
I invite you today to China to discover the Hell Money (the currency of the beyond). These banknotes, with their vibrant colors and powerful symbols, offer an extraordinary graphic universe. ✨ A highly poetic way of continuing to honor the departed.
The Other World
In 1877, at the gateway to the catacombs of Paris, a rather atypical newspaper was distributed: L'Autre monde, Journal des Trépassés. A nugget of macabre humor from the Belle Époque, printed in colored type on ebony-black paper - a little gem of printing and a forgotten treasure of French graphic culture.
love death & paper
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love death & paper -