CONSCIOUS CREATIONS & CULTURAL CELEBRATION WITH MARIANNE ROUSSETY
Meet the beautifully intuitive and incredibly creative artist Marianne Roussety. Born in Quebec, Canada with a Mauritian heritage she has found her way to the little nook of the world that we also call home, Byron Bay. Taking inspiration from her Mauritian culture and tales of strong women, Marianne paints and creates conscious pieces. We have always been big fans of Marianne's carefree, nomadic spirit and passion for art and sustainability. We caught up with Marianne to talk about the people who inspire her, life during the pandemic and the things that drive her.
You grew up in Quebec, Canada where you spent most of your life. 6 years ago relocating to Byron Bay, Australia. We may be biased, but Byron Bay is a beautiful place to settle in Australia. What drew you to Australia and more specifically Byron Bay?
My partner Ben drew me to Australia! We met in Portugal a bit over 6 years ago and I decided to come and live with him on the other side of the world (he is Australian). 5 years ago we did a van trip along the east coast for 5 months, towards the end of the trip while parked up in Byron Bay, we ran out of money and had to find jobs haha! We fell in love with the area, it’s magic!
The pandemic obviously caused the world to shut down, with international travel being brought to a halt. This must have been really difficult for you, not being able to see your family. Tell us a little bit about this time.
Yes, it has definitely been hard not being able to go home and not knowing when I will be able to again! I missed my family and my friends so much but we kept in contact and I skyped with my mum each week! I am heading to Canada in December and I am so excited about it!
There is a saying that ‘you are who you surround yourself by’ and that it is scientifically proven that you become the average of the five people you spend most of your time with – fascinating right. Tell us about the people who have inspired you, guided you and supported you throughout your career.
Both my mum and dad have inspired me creatively. My dad taught me to draw when I was little and my mum pushed me to pursue many different creative modalities. My partner has helped me a lot too, we are both super creative!
At Auguste, we have created a space where women support women, which is something we are really proud of. We are big believers that there is something very powerful about the bond between women, the sisterhood that we can form with one another. Who is someone in your life, a sister that has helped you get through some tough times?
My good friend Maria, who I used to live with, is such a special friend and always made me feel at home! I think coming from a different country and re-establishing yourself in a new country can be a bit challenging at times, so to find friends who feel like home, is so special. She is back in Spain now but I’m so excited to go visit her hopefully next year!
Passionate about gender equality, especially when it comes to the systemic racism experienced by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour). Where does this passion stem from? Where do you think the change must happen first?
To be honest, growing up in a town and a neighbourhood where 90% of the children are white, I also wanted to be white, so I sort of tried to hide my ethnicity! I’m now so proud of my Black heritage from Mauritius, it’s a gift to come from such a unique culture. I think the system must change but I do think we can learn to dismantle racism in our own families and friend groups too. The system in place, unfortunately, needs to change a LOT because it has been exploiting BIPOC people (and women) for a long time.
We absolutely love your style! What do you look for when buying clothes, what is your number 1 styling tip?
Thank you! I always look at the materials and where/how the pieces were made. It is important for me to support brands that care for the environment and the people who inhabit it. I love pieces that are comfortable but beautiful. I am really into colours at the moment too. My tip would be, to dress in whatever makes you feel empowered!
