L'Express

Opening an L’Express feature

Nicolas Ridou created the opening illustration for “Drug trafficking and local elected officials”, a feature in issue 3894 of L’Express, published on 19 February 2026.

Introducing a complex editorial subject

Placed at the beginning of the feature, the image establishes the subject before readers reach the individual articles. It provides a visual entry point between the two dimensions announced in the headline: drug-trafficking networks and responsibilities at the local level.

The role of an opening illustration

For a news story of this kind, an illustration can bring several issues into one composition without claiming to summarise the entire investigation. Ridou’s narrative visual language guides readers, creates a transition into the articles and gives the feature its own visual identity.