Taking Joy Seriously: new monograph charts the colourful career of Camille Walala

French artist Camille Walala has made a name for herself over the last decade by transforming urban public spaces with her joyful art. Now, in a new book from Counterprint, you can take a look back on her vibrant work, which is sure to make you smile.

Written By: Dom Carter

9 December 2021

Eight copies of Camille Walala's monograph "Taking Joy Seriously" displayed at an angle, each featuring a different vibrant cover design with bold geometric patterns, colourful shapes and the artist's distinctive style

Titled Taking Joy Seriously, this monograph charts the course of Camille's career through a variety of stunning projects. This includes the time she transformed a derelict filling station in Arkansas with an array of polka dots, filled a tunnel in Canary Wharf with perspective-warping visuals, and designed an entire eco-boutique hotel in Mauritius.

As well as boasting impressive visuals of work that will make your heart soar, Taking Joy Seriously also includes an interview with Camille herself, plus an accompanying mini-booklet that contains examples of her sketchbook work. The only difficulty with ordering this magnificent book is that it comes with a choice of eight stunning covers, so selecting your favourite from the selection of designs will be hard work.

Double-page spread from the Camille Walala monograph showing an interview with the artist alongside a vibrant photograph of her surrounded by colourful geometric shapes and patterns

Camille Walala's Taking Joy Seriously monograph spread open, showing colourful architectural illustrations with bold geometric patterns and vibrant hues throughout the pages

Open monograph spread showing a person in a blue jacket facing a colourful geometric mural on a Parisian building, with accompanying text and architectural photography

Even if you're unfamiliar with Camille's, the visceral impact of her work will be immediately apparent. By playing with bold colours and shapes, she can generate a powerful and heartening visual energy. And by positioning her art in urban spaces, Camille is able to use the human-made landscape as a vessel for disseminating positivity.

"This approach feels all the more significant as we emerge from our homes and rediscover our surroundings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic," says Counterpoint. "The question of how public spaces function has become increasingly important to our wellbeing, and the need to make our cities better, brighter, happier places is becoming more urgent."

A grid of eight different cover designs for Camille Walala's monograph, each featuring bold geometric shapes, patterns and colours including blues, yellows, pinks and blacks with the artist's name prominently displayed

An open monograph showing Camille Walala's vibrant street art installation with colourful geometric shapes on the left page, and black and white photographs with text on the right page

Open pages of the Taking Joy Seriously monograph showing Camille Walala seated in her studio surrounded by colourful design materials and mood boards, with text interview on the right page

By envisaging a future where cities are a melange of buildings in various colours and patterns, Camille ensures that populations will be able to experience moments of surprising fun that surprise the senses. It's her way of contributing to society and giving her work a grander purpose.

"Even starting small – one building in one community – she knows she can have a real impact on people's lives," adds Counterpoint. "And that impact continues to grow as her work becomes ever more ambitious and complex."

Designed by Jon Dowling and Céline Leterme, and presented with beautiful casebound binding, Raking Joy Seriously is available to order now for £35.