Alexandre Delaunay, known by his artistic alias Mascarade, has traded his paintbrushes for a pen to write an intimate autobiography that strips away all pretenses. The 36-year-old artist from Le Havre, France, is set to release "Mascarade, coulisses" (Mascarade, Behind the Scenes) on November 22, 2025, priced at 14 euros for the general public.
Anyone familiar with Le Havre would recognize Mascarade's distinctive artistic style. The former street artist, who has been working on canvases in his studio for several years, has left his mark throughout the city with a giant mural banner at the entrance to Sainte-Adresse and artwork covering an entire Lia urban bus. His signature artistic touch features bold red, blue, green, and yellow colors with thick black lines.
Behind this vibrant palette lies a sensitive man who felt compelled to express his life and emotions through words. "I do a lot of interviews and social media videos where I talk about myself, but I needed a longer format to truly express myself," Mascarade explained. The book idea emerged without any premeditation, born from a need for deeper self-expression.
The project began two years ago when Mascarade met Catherine Le Gall, a biographer, during an exhibition in La Réunion. Their meeting established a working relationship built on trust, conducive to intimate exchanges. "Initially, I planned to create a photo book of my artwork with some accompanying text," the artist revealed. However, as time progressed with Le Gall, who would officially become the extension of his voice, Alexandre Delaunay realized he had much more to tell.
Drawing from notes he had taken on his phone during important moments in his life and parallel therapy sessions, many memories surfaced. "Everything gets mixed up a bit, but I understood, for example, the amnesia I had at age 8," he shared. "I wanted to create an edition accessible to as many people as possible, ultimately without any photos at all."
After a year of intensive writing and deep self-reflection, the result is a 104-page book without illustrations but fluid in its readability. "It's the most complete thing in my life!" the artist declared, moved by the release of something that consumed his mind for months and that he experienced as "therapy."
In this accessible work, Mascarade recounts his childhood memories, his consuming obsession with the Royal de Luxe theater company, his initial passion for theater, and his academic difficulties. "I had like a white veil in front of my eyes at school," he describes. Throughout the pages, readers grow alongside young Alexandre, following his journey through adolescence and his discovery of graffiti, "which gave me confidence," even as the artist confesses his difficulties in social relationships: "Mascarade is easy, Alexandre is a bit more challenging."
The autobiography delves into deeply personal territory, covering his drug addictions, academic failures, and the account of trauma experienced at a police station in 2012. Yet it also celebrates his love for his hometown and its architecture. Fans of the artist will discover the sensitive soul hiding behind the alias Mascarade. The book provides illuminating insights into his artistic journey toward recognition, from the sidewalks of his hometown to exhibitions around the world.
"To better understand his work, to better perceive the artist's sensitivity when he graffs a drawing on the street, when he paints a canvas, a fresco, or when he puts Super Mascarade on the Volcan, the book is enlightening," as it reveals the artistic development that leads to notoriety. Mascarade opens wide the doors of his personal story, offering readers an unvarnished look at the man behind the vibrant street art.
The artist will sign copies of his book on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 4 p.m. at La Galerne bookstore, located at 148 rue Victor Hugo in Le Havre. This intimate autobiography represents not just a departure from his visual art but a courageous step into literary vulnerability, cementing Mascarade's evolution as a complete artist willing to bare his soul through multiple mediums.
