64 Colors

Couleurs

Tahiti |

Polynesia

French

Behind the scenes

Polynesia leaves a lasting impression through the intensity of its colors. In this setting, I felt inspired to write a poem about how colors shape our mood, our perception of the world, and perhaps even our creativity.

The text can be read simply: a landscape whose colors shift throughout the day, with natural blends – like red and yellow creating the orange of dawn. But it can also be explored in other ways, through certain questions (“What if I had been born blind, what would I see?”) or through playful writing techniques, such as forming words from the first letter of each line (an acrostic).

This poem is also a nod to the traveler-poet Arthur Rimbaud and his famous poem Vowels.

For the illustration, I rewrote the entire text by hand, weaving in visual elements and depicting myself with adolescent features, in a spirit that is both full of wonder and gently melancholic.

Echoes of the world

In French Polynesia, French is the official language and the language of education, but it coexists with several Polynesian languages, particularly Tahitian. This interaction creates a unique form of Francophonie in the heart of the Pacific.

In everyday life, languages naturally blend together. French, for example, is often used alongside words such as moana, meaning the vast ocean surrounding the islands, or mana, a spiritual force present in people, places, and objects.

The light of Polynesian lagoons often reveals striking variations of color. Corals, depending on the time of day and the reflections of the water, can appear green, orange, or blue in turn. In such a landscape, it becomes easy to understand how colors can influence our emotions and imagination.

Listen to an audio excerpt of the text