Lucas Beaufort: Rule breaker, Dreamer, Artist
Brixton have teamed up with French artist, Lucas Beaufort, on a Summer capsule collection. To compliment the launch of their collaborative efforts, The Chimp Store took a look at just who the man behind the artwork is.
Growing up a keen skateboarder, Lucas Beaufort had always gravitated towards the sport. At the age of 5 his mother bought both him and his twin brother a board, and they cut their teeth skating the streets of South East France in the 90s.
Lucas didn’t embark on his career as an artist until the age of 27, and having skated his entire life it’s no surprise he gravitated towards this to inform his artwork from the very start, using magazine covers as his canvas. Lucas describes wanting to be there in that moment (referring to the skateboard imagery he would use as his canvas), and drawing over them was his way of making that happen.
It is apparent from his earlier work that Lucas has a distinct style that continues to shine through from his first piece of work, to the pieces he creates to this day. Growing up with a vivid imagination that still accompanies him on all of his artistic journeys throughout adulthood, Lucas’ inspiration lies with the monsters in his head that used to frighten him as a child. Over time, monsters turned to friends and they now take centre stage in his work.
One of the biggest pieces of work undertaken by Lucas was not a physical art piece, but a documentary in honour of skateboarding and the methods used to document skaters from the 90s through to 2016 when it was released. Titled ‘Devotion’, the film is just that, and further cements the artists love for skating.
With his artwork speaking for itself, Lucas found his pieces being showcased in galleries, hanging in restaurants, people’s homes and being widely received across the world.
Although not a core skate brand, Brixton has been long adopted by the skateboarding world thanks to their hard-wearing material selection, well-fitting cuts and unmistakable style. Boasting a number of skaters as brand ambassadors, it is this association that lead Brixton to tap Beaufort for their most recent Summer capsule collection.
Taking the artists signature character style and applying it to a number of staple Brixton pieces as well as new styles, the well-executed capsule, entitled Visual Relay, merges the two worlds to great effect. The character that has been carefully woven into the artists canvas informing the Brixton collection, came as a direct result of Beaufort's trip to Cairo. Fascinated by the crowded streets and constant buzz of the city, it takes a hieroglyph style and warps it into semi-familiar human shapes.
The resulting intricate pattern is showcased across staple Brixton styles such as the Steady Elastic Waistband Shorts and Lovitz Short Sleeve Woven Shirt, which arrive as a matching set. A striking royal blue provides the canvas with the artists work decorating each piece in white.
Taking a more subtle approach, the Crowd II Long Sleeve encompasses signature BRXTN branding on the front and a Beaufort redesign of the split box logo on the rear.
Heavyweight hoodies are taken care of, thanks to the Broke Hooded Fleece. Direct embroidery is applied to the chest, depicting the artists broken skateboard doodle. In 330gsm fleece, it makes for the perfect transitional hoody as we head into Summer.
Continuing this theme, the Beaufort T Shirt features screen printed graphics of the same broken skateboard, on the chest and enlarged on the back is the artists character, pushing along.
Now you've seen the collection for yourself, hit the link below to shop your favourite pieces with Free Next Day Delivery available.
