When he was a child, artist Lucas Beaufort had a recurring nightmare. Imaginary creatures would torment him while he slept. But when he began to draw and paint the monsters who stalked his dreams, his relationship with them changed dramatically.

“My monsters became my friends, my family, my brothers,” Lucas explains. “They always talk to me and I like to listen their advice, they guide me.”

Lucas’ trademark monsters have been on a phenomenal journey since the days when he used to daydream and draw them as a child. Growing up with skateboarding in the South of France, the monsters have since graced skate photos, decks, pages from old skate magazines, and much more besides.

“Seven years ago I started to paint on photos,” Lucas says. “It was a way for me to give another life to places, people and actions that I love. Putting my monsters in existing situations makes me feel like I was there when the photo was taken.”

In Once Upon a Place, Lucas spent 15 days travelling across Europe, through London, Berlin, Stockholm and Helsinki, exploring the contrasts between life in the city and the countryside.

“The city always reminds you that you’re small and you’re just a little piece of the puzzle,” Lucas explains. “I love nature equally. It’s an empty place, but just as full of joy.”

Evidence of the travels undertaken by Lucas and his monsters appear in a short film and gallery show in Paris.

Wherever he is, and whether or not his monsters are by his side, Lucas is still daydreaming.

“I dream about jumping between places or freezing time,” he says. “I want to control my own life, or create my own path. I just want to be me.”

Check out more of Lucas Beaufort’s work.

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