Near Rouen, a graffiti artist illuminates a fire and rescue center
The Fire and Rescue Center (CIS) Rouen Sud (Seine-Maritime) intervenes 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year at 80% for personal rescue. It is specifically specialized in aquatic interventions and long-term explorations. Commanded by Captain Rozenn Ribot, the first woman to head a CIS in Rouen, 85 professional firefighters and 30 volunteers working in this building. “They spend almost more time there than at home to the rhythm of the bells and in an esprit de corps, underlines the officer. They have to own it. It is important to give a soul to this place. »
So, after the eurois artist Yann Dehais who produced works for the refectory and a few corridors, graffiti artist Stéphanie Pariselle alias Stefparis was chosen to imagine and draw a 45m2 fresco to pay tribute to the soldiers of the fire. Originally from Authieux-sur-le-Port-Saint-Ouen (near Rouen), Stefparis is a graphic designer. She arrived in urban art through her passion for drawing since her early childhood: “Two years ago, I met the graffiti artist Kejo from Grand Bourgtheroulde (Eure). He transposed my sketches on Facebook and offered to express myself with bombs. I immediately loved it and learned straight from the wall! »
WhatsApp group choice
Since then, the street artist has expressed herself “without being a vandal, therefore on authorized media and during collective performances or commissions, as recently on the wall of the Youri Gagarin gymnasium in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray or that of the enclosure of the Eqiom concrete plant in Rouen. I can finally show my passion in front of an audience and make a name for myself in this very competitive environment,” explains Stefparis. It is also once again thanks to social networks that Staff Sergeant Didier Schlenker discovered his style and his layout: “We wanted something out of the ordinary. Stef offered us models, the choice of which I submitted to our WhatsApp group”, indicates the non-commissioned officer.
Finally, on a wall measuring 9 meters by 5 meters in the CrossFit space deployed in the heart of the nerve center between the maneuvering area, the vehicle shed, the broadcasts of alerts in the loudspeakers and in view of the outings in interventions and re-entries, Stefparis represented a “Rhinoceros dressed in the jersey of the firefighters with an ax and a pipe. It is the symbol of power and abnegation. With bright colors are also represented the Cathedral of Rouen, the Flaubert Bridge, water and fire. It took me five days and a hundred cans of paint to do this fresco. It’s a great project, because in my opinion, firefighters are the heroes of our society,” explains Stefparis.
With a total cost of 2000 euros financed by the sponsor Cap Finances, the work will be removed during Sainte-Barbe and a change of command on January 13th.