How a Parisian Tattoo Artist Maxime Grehier Interpreted Envol
Artist collaborations in niche perfumery are rare, and rarer still when the brief is not to describe a scent, but to feel it.
That is exactly what Écrit et Parfum asked of Maxime Grehier, Parisian tattoo artist, painter, and founder of collective studio Rayon Noir, when presenting Envol: a Korean-inspired niche fragrance rooted in the literary world of Yi Sang.
This is how a fragrance becomes a visual language.
Interview with Maxime Grehier: Twelve Years of Precision Between Ink and Architecture
Q. Could you please introduce yourself?
A: My name is Maxime Grehier, and I’ve been an artist for twelve year.
My journey began at École Boulle, where I studied cabinetmaking. It was there that I developed the geometric drawing style that remains central to my work today, visible in both my tattoos and my canvases.
Q. Could you please tell us more about your studio?
A: We’re at Rayon Noir, the studio I founded four years ago.
It’s a collective of tattoo artists, but it’s more than just a tattoo shop. This is where I have my personal atelier; it’s my primary workspace.
I spend a lot of time here working on my paintings, wood pieces, and the sculptures I create on the side.
Q. What are your favorite places or neighborhoods in Paris?
A: My favorite spot is this studio by default, just because of how much time I spend here.
But outside of my studio, I’m really drawn to the 13th arrondissement, specifically around the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand. I find that neighborhood very modern, almost futuristic, but it doesn’t feel like the corporate skyscrapers of La Défense. The architecture is vast, and there’s a real sense of space.
I also love the Bourse de Commerce. The work Tadao Ando did on the interior is incredible. There’s something deeply soothing about standing in the center of that architecture.
Q. How does this Envol Eau de Parfum make you feel, and what does it smell like to you?
A: It evokes something very fresh.
To me, it smells like the "beaux quartiers" of Paris. That specific scent you catch on the street from people who take care of themselves. It’s very classy.
And it actually reminds me of the perfume my mother wore when I was a child. She was a very elegant woman, and back then her fragrances were always very crisp and fresh. She wears fruitier scents now, but this immediately takes me back to my childhood. It shares a soul with the fragrance “Envol.”
Q. You designed this beautifully balanced artwork after smelling Envol. How did you approach the design and visuals for this fragrance?
A: I drew a lot of inspiration from the work of Yi Sang, specifically his architectural studies. I wanted to capture those pure, raw forms - shapes that feel heavy yet weightless through contrast.
I applied the same techniques I use in tattooing: playing with the nuance between fine lines and bold strokes, and balancing very light gradients against much darker ones.
Yi Sang spoke a lot about lightness, emptiness, and space.That’s exactly what I tried to recreate visually around this fragrance.
