CORONACRISIS COVID KISSING FRANCE

CORONACRISIS COVID KISSING FRANCE is a new series of illustrations I made in reaction to the actualities today [2020]. During our first couple visits outside of our houses. I noticed how many people are kissing with their masks on. The series will be for sale at my ETSY SHOP

It seems to be a physical body language to know and understand that you want to give affection and receive affection without speaking the word or physically touching. Even though it feels bizarre to apply this simple delicate act of affection with the one you love and spend your time with day in and day out. The public kiss is being hidden and disappearing.

It reminded me of a RedBand commercial when I was young to not give a reason for teenagers to kiss. According to the commercial if you buy the combined wine gum/liquorice candy. Your kids have no reason to exchange the tastes by their mouths.

CORONACRISIS COVID KISSING FRANCE is an important work for me.

Firstly of my own culture, as you know I am Dutch, and we consider ourselves to be huggers, not kissers. When you love somebody deeply you would faster give a hug then a kiss.

Secondly, In France, kissing means everything and the French kiss everyone for any reason. I had a hard time integrating this aspect of culture but today I feel missing it. It makes the country feel warm and gentile. Even better said it is an act of passion, love, celebration, reconciliation, etc. Only the most loving words come to me.

During the whole coronavirus crisis, I have been thinking about how this would be afterwards and how much I would miss it. Therefore I decided to work with it. I feel like the French is even more distant then they have ever been. The hole propaganda around all the fear of getting the illness is about to destroy one of its most beautiful traditions.

Tell me what you think about my new work? And if you tried already to kiss with masks on?