Press articles
French Morning:
English version: **Armelle Ngo, the Frenchwoman who splashes the ‘beach cities’ of Los
Angeles with color** by © Agnès Chareton Published in French Morning on June 2, 2025 
Light, contrast, and clean lines are at the heart of this mural inspired by “the fun of Southern California.”
In Manhattan Beach, a small seaside town open to the Pacific in L.A.’s South Bay, art has
made its way into the heart of the city. On the facade of the Manhattan Heights Community Center—a low concrete and brick building—an immense wave unfurls its geometric shapes in a cascade of colors. A sun sinks into a mauve and turquoise sea, and a beach volleyball player arches her muscular body in mid-air… This mural, overflowing with light, pigment, and energy, is the work of French painter and muralist Armelle Ngo, who completed it in January 2024, after being selected from over a hundred artists.
That California vibe also resonates in the canvases she paints in the bright living room of her Hermosa Beach home and in the murals she creates for private clients (featured on her site Armelle Atelier). But this time, it was the City of Manhattan Beach that commissioned her through a public call for projects. Armelle was selected by the City Council from over 100 artists to create this 640-square-foot mural for a fee of $40,000. Manhattan Beach benefits from a fund called "The Percent for the Arts", which is financed by a 1% tax on certain construction projects to support public art.
For Armelle Ngo, this project is a powerful stepping stone to cement her legitimacy. “It’s not my first or biggest project, but it’s the most visible,” confirms the French artist, who has lived in L.A. since 2012. “Before this, I painted a huge 2,000-square-foot mural for the gymnasium at Hermosa Valley Middle School. It cost me sleepless nights, but once the piece was finished, it gave me wings,” she recalls.
She also gained recognition through her street murals and painted utility boxes in various
South Bay cities, again through open calls for public art (featured on her Instagram account).
"A very precious artistic sisterhood"
Los Angeles was a revelation for Armelle, who embraced painting later in life, after a career
as a translator-interpreter in Europe and many years devoted to raising her three children in California. It was at their school in Hermosa Beach, volunteering for art projects, that she
picked up the paintbrush again in 2016.
“This was something that had been dormant all my life but that I had never let express itself,” she reflects. “As a child, I always loved drawing, painting, and art. I grew up in Paris, in an all-girls high school, and I spent my time in museums. I was always mentally taking notes, knowing that one day, I would do something big.”
“When I paint, I seek light, contrast, and simplification. That’s why I use solid color blocks
and very straight lines,” explains the artist, whose blue-green eyes match her corduroy
jacket. “I want to get to the heart of things, to the essence. The ultimate goal is to reconnect with my childlike soul—when everything was simpler, more colorful, and joyful!”
She draws inspiration from Van Gogh, James Ensor, Constantin Brâncuși, as well as
from Surrealism and Cubism.
Public art commissions like these allow artists to make a name for themselves in the South
Bay.
© Agnès Chareton
In Hermosa Beach, Armelle joined the South Bay Artist Collective and its women’s group,
The Art Hive, a community of 12 female artists who meet weekly. “We debrief each other’s
work, share news, ask for help and advice, and open up. It’s so much more than a
professional network—it’s a very precious artistic sisterhood,” says Armelle. “Among
women, we allow ourselves to be more vulnerable. It lifts me up enormously.”
Proof of that support: her work will be exhibited again this summer in Torrance, during a
second group show with The Art Hive, from Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13, as part of
Tryst, organized by the Torrance Art Museum.
Shout Out LA:
https://shoutoutla.com/meet-armelle-ngo-french-woman-artist-mother-wife-yogi-friend/
Voyage LA:
https://voyagela.com/interview/rising-stars-meet-armelle-ngo-of-hermosa-beach/