Who says we need to define ourselves within one stream, one stereotype, one style. Meet Cedric Jean Pierre Pradel and his alter ego Jean Poodle.

Written by Suzanne van Heerde

Cedric Jean Pierre Pradel is an artist who graduated in Fine Arts from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. During his years at the academy, he developed two distinct senses of being. His alter ego being the fun loving and good-natured version of himself. The other being the inner works of his mind frame, that can lead him to unexpected happenings. He creates his art through both of them, depending on the moment, event and mood. He captures their aesthetic through others and at times through himself. A manner of disconnecting the images from the body, creating two evident beings that reside within one.

S: Who is Jean Poodle and what would he look like if you were to pass him by on the street?
C: Jean Poodle is my alter ego. He is a charismatic figure who strongly focuses on the fun aspects of life. You would most likely see him in a classic suit in the sense of the shape yet it would be covered in dots, stripes and bright colours. He would have topped the ensemble off with an evenly opulent bowtie and perhaps a brooch. On his side his two poodles would be prancing along.

S: How did he come to exist?
C: During my years at the art academy, I was in search of my own style. I felt most comfortable within two different ones. One being the Jean Poodle-esque one where it’s all about the fun factor and the other being a search within myself where I feel the need to create a vision I have in my mind which is often more melancholic. Along this adventure I concluded that I do have two very different approaches and therefore I separated the two and in addition created Jean Poodle.

S: It seems like a new age art schizophrenia state of mind. When working on either/or, do you change your mind set? And in what way is this evident?
C: Yes I suppose you could call it that way. When it’s time for Jean Poodle I do whatever I feel like doing, I dress up in my fun clothes as if I were on my way to a party, put on poppy music to set the mood and I feel overall super enthusiastic. Cedric Jean Pierre Pradels moment is very different though. I put on my comfy clothes as I have no idea where the moment is going to make me. I might end up in the water, outside, on the floor. I really don’t know, I just let my mind guide me.

S: Your work shows us a clear affinity with masks, where does this fascination come from? Is it something that you apply to yourself as well?
C: I find it fascinating how someone can literally or figuratively put on a mask, be able to express themselves and therefore to be able to reveal so much more. Therefore it has this melancholic idea to it that I feel very attracted to. This is also something that I practice through Jean Poodle. He is my escape at times, times when all I want to do is celebrate life and all the fun things that it has to offer!

S: Most of your work is solely produced by yourself (besides the models). How did you come to be a man of all trades?
C: During school I needed a medium to present my vision, photography and the aforementioned turned out to be a pretty good match. During my internship with Wendelien Daan I started falling in love with fashion. This is when my work became more involved in that field. Jean Poodle needs fashion to express himself and at that time it was a vision that I needed to be able to translate solely by myself as him. It was a way to clearly portray the existence of Jean Poodle, hence many one-man-show productions.

S: In that aspect, do you feel the need to collaborate?
C: Yes of course, as I feel that Jean Poodle is now a fact and therefore the time has come for him to join forces with others. He is a fun package that can be applied to anyone and anything.

S: What would your dream collaboration be?
C: Working together with Sebastian Sauve. I once saw an interview with him where he told a magical story about how he got discovered as a model. He was in the jungle, ended up in a cave where there was a lot of gold and other valuable objects, the next moment there was a damsel in distress and a huge man told him he looked special in a good way, a way that would make him rich and famous. He was such a bubbly personality and that whole dream like aspect of his story, that made him my muse then and there.

S: What is your message to the fashion world?
C: Have fun with everything you do. Believe in that moment when you are creating something amazing. At the end of the day my mission is to make the other person smile!

Visit his website: Jean Poodle  &  Cedric Jean Pierre Pradel