Marie Laforge’s mixed-media work turns old paper into surreal collages

At Women in Arts Network, Spring Through My Eyes introduced us to artists whose work reflected the season in beautifully different ways. Every submission reminded us that spring is more than blooming flowers or warmer days it is about renewal, curiosity, and seeing the familiar with fresh eyes.

Among the selected artists is Marie Laforge, whose imaginative collages perfectly embody that spirit by transforming ordinary, forgotten images into vibrant new visual stories.

Growing up in the French Alps, surrounded by mountains, music, and art, Marie learned early to observe the world with curiosity and imagination. After studying Graphic Arts and Advertising in Paris, she worked across photography and design before realizing that collage offered something neither medium could: the freedom to invent rather than simply record. Where photography captures a moment, collage allows her to reshape it, giving existing images entirely new meanings and unexpected relationships.

Working primarily with vintage magazines, old books, found photographs, and discarded paper, Marie approaches each collage as a process of discovery. Rather than beginning with a fixed concept, she lets the images lead the way, trusting that unexpected connections will gradually emerge.

A human figure, an animal, a flower, or an everyday object can suddenly become part of the same story, creating compositions that are playful, surreal, and full of quiet surprises.

What makes Marie’s work so enjoyable is that it never reveals everything at once. At first, her collages might make you smile at an unexpected combination of images, but the longer you spend with them, the more you begin to notice. Small details, hidden connections, and playful visual clues gradually come into focus, making every piece feel like a story that’s still unfolding.

Marie doesn’t try to control every outcome. Instead, she lets the images guide her, following unexpected ideas wherever they lead. That openness gives her work a wonderful sense of freedom. It invites us to slow down, stay curious, and discover that sometimes the most interesting stories are the ones we never planned to tell.

Now, let’s get to know Marie Laforge through our conversation about collage, creativity, storytelling, and discovering the extraordinary possibilities hidden within the ordinary.

Q1. Marie, can you share a little about your journey and what first drew you to a creative life?

I grew up in the French Alps, surrounded by art, music, and mountains that felt like masterpieces. Creativity was part of daily life (we did not have a TV which turned out to be a blessing) , and I was drawn to anything imaginative and expressive.

Q2. Before collage became central to your practice, were you always drawn to collecting images and visual stories?

As a teen, a collage-covered bedroom wall sparked a lifelong love for the medium. After studying Graphic Arts and Advertising in Paris, I found that while photography captured moments, collage let me play, laugh, and invent.

Q3. What continues to inspire you about giving found images a new life?

What excites me most is the possibility of rewriting a story. An image that was created for one purpose can suddenly take on an entirely new meaning when it’s placed in a different context. I love discovering those unexpected connections.

There’s also an element of upcycling that I find deeply satisfying. I’m giving discarded materials a second life while creating something unique from what already exists. Every collage feels like a conversation between the past and the present, and the surprises that emerge along the way are what keep me coming back to the process.

Q4. What has collage taught you about trusting the creative process?

Collage has taught me that creativity thrives in curiosity rather than control. I rarely begin with a fixed idea; instead, I start collecting images that speak to me and trust that connections will emerge. Often, the most meaningful pieces come from unexpected combinations I never could have planned.

That process has made me more comfortable with uncertainty. It has taught me to trust my instincts, embrace accidents, and stay open to surprise. Some of the best discoveries happen when I stop trying to direct the work and simply listen to what the images are suggesting.

Q5. Your collages balance humour, curiosity, and mystery. Does that happen naturally or by design?

I think so, although it happens quite naturally. I’m drawn to unexpected combinations of images, and those juxtapositions often create humor without me forcing it. I love the moment when a viewer smiles, laughs, or does a double take.

But I don’t want the joke to be the whole story. I’m equally interested in creating layers that invite a closer look. Many of my collages contain subtle details, visual clues, or hidden meanings that aren’t immediately obvious.

Humor may open the door, but curiosity and mystery are what keep people engaged. I like artwork that doesn’t give everything away at once. The longer someone spends with it, the more there is to discover.

Q6. What inspired your 1000 Pantone Postcards project?

Part of the idea came from a public art project I organized with Illegal Art called TO DO. We used 3,000 Post-it notes to create a large outdoor mural and invited people to write their to-do lists on them. I loved the fact that every little square held a story, and that together they became something visually striking and meaningful.

The Pantone Postcard Project follows a similar concept. Each postcard is its own tiny world, but my goal is to eventually display all 1,000 together as a giant color-coded mural. From a distance, you’ll see the colors and overall composition.

Up close, you’ll discover hundreds of individual stories, characters, jokes, and hidden details. That interplay between the big picture and the small discoveries is what continues to inspire me. My ultimate goal with this project would be to raise money for charity.

Q7. What draws you to combining unexpected elements in your collages?

I think I’ve always been fascinated by the unexpected. When two unrelated images are placed together, they create a new story—one that neither image could tell on its own. That’s where the magic of collage happens for me. I’m drawn to human figures because they bring emotion and narrative, while animals, flowers, and everyday objects often introduce symbolism, humor, or surprise.

Combining them allows me to create visual conversations that feel playful, but can also invite deeper interpretation. I enjoy that moment when something seems familiar and strange at the same time. Those unlikely combinations spark curiosity, encourage viewers to look closer, and leave room for their own imagination to complete the story.

Q8. Has a collage ever taken you somewhere completely unexpected?

Yes, definitely. There are several! My collages tend to have a life of their own and evolve in ways that surprise me.

Q9. Success means different things to different artists. What does success look like for you at this stage of your creative journey?

For me, success is being able to keep creating and remain excited about the process. If I’m still curious, still discovering new ideas, and still looking forward to sitting down at my worktable, I consider that a success. I also find great satisfaction in sharing that creativity with others whether through an exhibition, a workshop, a public art project, or simply seeing someone connect with a piece of my work.

Q10. What advice would you give artists who are still finding their creative voice?

I would tell them not to wait for confidence before they begin. Confidence usually comes after you’ve spent time making the work, not before. Create often, stay curious, and give yourself permission to make things that aren’t perfect. The more you create, the more you begin to recognize the ideas, themes, and visual language that feel uniquely yours.

Try not to compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Trust your instincts, follow what excites you, and remember that your creative voice isn’t something you find it’s something you build, one piece at a time.

As our conversation with Marie came to a close, we found ourselves thinking about one of the most wonderful things spring teaches us: renewal doesn’t always come from something entirely new. Sometimes it comes from seeing what already exists with fresh eyes.

That idea feels beautifully present throughout Marie’s work. She takes forgotten photographs, discarded magazines, old books, and fragments of paper that have already lived one life, then brings them together to create stories that never existed before. In many ways, that’s what spring does too. It doesn’t create a new world. It simply awakens the one that has been waiting all along.

There is something deeply joyful about that way of working. Marie embraces surprise instead of certainty, allowing unexpected combinations to guide each collage. The result is work that invites us to stay curious, smile at the unexpected, and discover that imagination often begins where we least expect it.

For collectors and art lovers, Marie’s collages offer an experience that continues long after the first glance. Every piece is filled with playful details, subtle humour, and visual surprises that reveal themselves over time. The more you return to them, the more stories begin to unfold, making each collage feel like a conversation that is never quite finished.

Perhaps that is what stayed with us most after speaking with Marie. Spring isn’t only about new beginnings. Sometimes it’s about rediscovering the familiar and realizing there was always another story waiting to be told.

Follow Marie Laforge through the links below and explore more of her imaginative collage practice.