Émile Zola’s novels left a lasting impact on Julie Bégin, who was overwhelmed by the author’s uncompromisingly harsh stories.
In February 2021, during a rare outing, Bégin stumbled upon a dilapidated copy of Germinal in the snow, and an idea struck her. She decided to turn the tables on Zola with a playful and ironic gesture. Negating the original content of the classic masterpiece, she stuffed cheerful hues and even glitter between every page to infuse joie de vivre where there had been only gloom. The resulting material was cut into bold shapes and made into a series of big, campy rings.
Bégin’s series, Sweet Vengeance, transformed the experience of Zola’s book by adding a new aesthetic dimension to its pages. The colourful rings became like talismans against Covid, providing a glimmer of hope and joy during uncertain times.