23.01.2025

Journal Talks: In Conversation with Agathe Berjaut

For this edition of Journal Talks, we sat down with Agathe Berjaut, a French-born multidisciplinary storyteller living in Oslo. Agathe’s evocative work as a photographer and collage artist has captured the poetry of the Everyday, blending analog craft with authentic narratives. Her journey is one of self-discovery, intuition, and connection, a perfect fit for the world of Björk and Berries.

Agathe Berjaut describes herself as “a French-born multidisciplinary storyteller living in Oslo.” Her work bridges the worlds of photography, collage, and visual storytelling, all rooted in her passion for crafting narratives that echo the beauty of the Everyday. With her hands, her camera, and her intuition as her tools, Agathe creates work that feels raw, tactile, and deeply personal.

Her creative path wasn’t linear, it unfolded naturally over time. “I worked as a fashion designer for many years,” she shares, “but I pursued my own creative projects on the side to find balance.” Despite years of daily creative exploration, she kept her work private, until the world shifted.

“When Covid came, I was laid off for a period, and unconsciously, without agenda, I started to be more present on Instagram, showing what lies behind the curtains.” During this time, Agathe began night courses in photography and fell in love with analog processes. “I’m unconditionally drawn to the handmade, the craft, the tangible and tactile,” she says. “It completely captivated me.”

Her authentic, intimate work began catching the attention of lifestyle brands, sparking collaborations that gave her the freedom to create. These moments were the push she needed to fully invest in her creative visions.

For Agathe, creativity is deeply intuitive. “It’s difficult to explain,” she says. “I spend tremendous numbers of hours crafting visual stories; planning, shooting, developing, printing, annotating, collaging. My work has many layers, and I let a part of my soul into it.”

Her process often starts with a feeling, an emotion connected to the product or brand she’s working with. From there, she allows herself to wander through words, visual references, and sketches, creating a plan. Through out the process she also leaves room for the magic of discovery.

“I physically craft my visuals while doing,” Agathe explains. “I use references from the world around me, my sense of beauty, and most importantly, my two hands; collaging, drawing, and layering in the darkroom.”

Themes of authenticity and the realness of the Everyday guide her work. She often collaborates with talent she street-casts, capturing moments of vulnerability and intimacy, free from makeup or posing. “I try to cross the boundaries of the intimate,” she says. “The photographic series are a documentation of a moment in time, rendered as annotated visuals.”

So, what does life look like behind the lens and the paintbrush? “You’d find me in my atelier most of the time, producing something,” Agathe says. “In contact with my intuition.”

A mother as well as an artist, Agathe values her family deeply. “I prioritize my daughters, who remind me to be a child myself. They keep me sensitive and natural, wearing my emotions on my sleeve.”

When asked about her process for creating the Vanilla Veil campaign, Agathe describes it as a sensory journey. “I start with interpretations and visual associations to the smell. I spend days wearing the perfume and letting the memories flow up.”

From there, she moves into storytelling: writing, drawing, and researching to create a storyboard. “I often have a title in mind to guide me,” she says. Once the concept feels right, she steps into the producer role, gathering locations, people, styling, and objects to create the perfect atmosphere.

For those looking to dive into the world of analog photography, Agathe’s advice is clear: “Learn by doing, but you have to commit. It takes time, dedication, and repetition.”

Her approach is refreshingly playful and intuitive. “Grab a camera, look up a video on how to load film, and start taking photos of whatever your inner child points to. Trust your eyes. Take risks. Start again when you feel like you’ve failed.”

To Agathe, the scent interpretation of Nordic Vanilla evokes an immediate memory: “The smell of a cake floating through the kitchen of my childhood on a winter day. It’s sweet and feminine, with a nostalgic softness. It reminds me of daydreaming in younger years, letting time move slowly, mixed with the acidity of a mandarin zest. A perfect disruption.”

And Finally: Vanilla Cake or Vanilla Ice Cream? When asked this playful question, Agathe doesn’t hesitate: “Vanilla ice cream. I’m a summer child!”

Agathe Berjaut’s work reminds us of the beauty in the Everyday, the fleeting, poetic moments that make up our lives. Through her photography, collages, and visual storytelling, she creates worlds that feel authentic, tactile, and timeless. Her passion for craft, emotion, and intuition is a perfect match for the spirit of Björk and Berries.

Stay tuned for more Journal Talks as we continue to celebrate the creators and collaborators who inspire us.