We rather like the work of these two French graphic artists, and so – it would seem – does the rest of the world! Their exhibition has seven themed rooms, or perhaps the correct word would be ‘playgrounds’? And do they really look like this⬇?

Antoine Audiau and Manuel Warosz have been working together since 1993, and have helped to create the graphic design equivalent of the ‘French touch’, a term generally used for electronic music. Working with typography and illustration, they use collages models built and photographed, stains and splashes, felt tips or vector drawing, sometimes all in the same piece.

Although they refuse to admit that they adhere to any particular school, you can see influences of the Polish or Swiss styles espoused by their professors, and one of the rare references that they will admit to is Letraset sets. Typography is at the heart of the duo’s work, and Antoine – initially a stylist – has kept his skills with crayons and felt tips.

Their collaborative work is often linked with a child-like world, and they find inspiration through memories of their youth. The result is a colourful, joyous, playful universe where building blocks are a common theme, and it is this child-like world that the exhibition is set. Giant building block punctuate each room until we reach – at the end – a “hut – castle – chapel – covered with the wallpaper stickers that they have designed since 2005 for French company Domestic.

Whilst discovering their work, visitors are taken through various different areas: their workshop to discover their influences, two different workspaces (drawing and typography), a room where graphics become objects, a bedroom, a room of furniture and finally a room that they call “interior architecture”. Each rooms is set up differently depending on its content, giving the impression of seven exhibitions in one!

Here’s all the essential information for the Antoine + Manuel exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris

When: 15th January – 12th April
Where: Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris. Métro Palais-Royal (lines 1 & 7). Bus n°s 21, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81 & 95
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday from 11am – 6pm, weekends from 10am – 6pm, late night opening Thursdays until 9pm. Closed Mondays
Admission: adults 8 euros, concessions 6.50 euros. Under 18s go free
Official site: here
Official Antoine + Manuel site : here

Bigger map here