Jean-Nirina Razafindralambo is a visual artist, painter, and sculptor. Under the guidance of Rija Rambelo, he began experimenting with pastels, then watercolors and artistic collage, skillfully capturing landscapes, faces, and movement around him. In 2010, he represented Madagascar at the Third World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar. “My inspiration came from the streets.”

Originally from Antananarivo, the capital of the Republic of Madagascar, he lives and works there today.

Why collage?

“Choosing to work with collage allows me to create artworks that are both aesthetically beautiful and conceptually rich. Collage is an effective way to combine disparate elements to create visual compositions that tell a story or convey an emotion.”

Why use cardboard as a medium?

He uses cardboard as his main support. First of all, cardboard is an artistic medium with several advantages: it is easy to obtain, cut, fold, glue, and paint. It allows the creation of works in relief, in volume, or even in trompe-l’oeil. Cardboard is also ecological, as it is recyclable and biodegradable. It offers great freedom for creation and expression. This is also a form of recycling—an incredible discovery. A new medium was born. Many tests were conducted, first with pencil, then using magazines. No more waste—cardboard picked up even from the street is repurposed.

To him, cardboard is an eco-friendly material: it’s biodegradable, recyclable, and comes from sustainably managed forests. It consumes less energy, water, and oil than other materials like plastic or aluminum, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of soil and oceans. It’s an ally for the environment. It is a recovered material that can be transformed into something both beautiful and useful.

Why magazine paper?

“Magazines have always been important in my life. They offer more up-to-date information than books, contain images and graphics that make them more engaging, and are also a powerful medium. As a child, I was inseparable from them—looking at and replicating photos of famous people from the magazines my parents gave me. During the day, I would read them constantly—even while walking—as a favorite pastime. I was always drawn to the headlines, to the comics where I saw my favorite cartoon heroes, to the shows of my youth. In memory of those unforgettable moments, I thought to myself: why not connect the past with the present? A nostalgic blend through collage using magazine paper?”

And so it was decided: in his new artistic work, he would “include” magazine cut-outs—headlines, characters, mostly just the heads—to set himself apart from other collage artists. He combined them with clothing images from magazines in his paintings. This new technique emerged through experimentation. The result was striking. Then he kept going, adding another text, another image… and suddenly it was a different style, a new representation before him.

“For me, it’s simply the will to recycle instead of throwing away—also a fight for a cleaner city, because the easiest waste to eliminate is the one we never produce.”

VLFineart Vision

What child has never made a collage?

Jean-Nirina uses cardboard as a base for his works and transforms scenes from Malagasy daily life through the use of magazines. He cuts, assembles, and glues to bring faces, forms, and life stories to life.