Loulou João introduces the Nicer Tuesdays audience to her creations: Miss Focket and the Focketverse

If you played with dolls when you were a young child, what did they look like? Chances are that they were white, slim and probably blonde. This was the case for the Belgium-based animator and illustrator Loulou João, and the impetus for her wonderfully original practice which throws the value of these childhood toys into question. Kicking off August’s Nicer Tuesdays, Loulou said: “I use or abuse cuteness to lure people in and then sometimes I’ll add in some leftist propaganda.” Talking us through the inspirations for her Blender-created plasticky depictions, Loulou discussed how representation is crucial to her practice, and how she’s used her practice to criticise aspects of a homogenous world upheld by white supremacy.

Last month, our monthly event dedicated to the shining a light on the brightest talents in the creative industry, was dedicated to the theme of ‘finding a tone of voice’. With this in mind, Loulou told us about exactly that. How her experiences as a Afro-Belgian have informed her investigations and how she found her signature visual language after years of toil followed by a fortuitous breakthrough. In turn, the wonderful Focketverse has been a place of refuge for Loulou’s inner child, a safe place she’s opened up to the rest of us. Ending her talk by answering questions from the audience, Loulou chatted about how she’s built up a successful roster of clients, the strength provided of the online animation community, and the importance of having a message behind your work.