COMMUNITY CONNECTOR
Chien Champion, also known to his parents and friends as Felipe Arriagada-Nunez, is a Montréal-based visual artist. After being bitten one too many times by sharp-toothed dogs, he decided to tame his trauma by adopting a canine name one way or another to break the spell. Since the age of two, Felipe has been sketching portraits of the people he loves, the city he lives in, and the ones he visits, from Naples to Tokyo. He immortalizes joys, celebrations, grief, good meals, films that have marked him, and always a little bit of sports.
His work has led him, among other things, to illustrate the box for the Nike Montreal Bagel Dunk, to design the identity for the Montreal Jazz Festival by bringing back its iconic cat, to paint iconic murals, and to collaborate with sports institutions such as the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens, and CF Montréal. With warm colors and an imperfect line, Felipe doesn’t just draw: he tells stories that soothe the heart stories that inspire a fierce desire to live for those who look at his images, with the eyes of a child… or not.
What are your core values?
I believe in humanity, curiosity, sharing, and the strength of community.
What does your dream project look like?
I’d like to create a place where people are immersed in my universe— a lively space filled with physical objects, a small house you can walk into and have tea, animation, gigantic artworks on the walls, music. There would also need to be good food… A place where you feel good, where you leave inspired, with the desire to create in turn.
Describe your work in one sentence.
The magnification of everyday life in color.
What would you like to be known for?
For crystallizing important moments, for my creativity, my ability to build bridges where there weren’t necessarily any, and for celebrating what brings us together.
What impact does your artistic practice have?
It allows me to connect with people all over the world, to bring light where there is darkness, to never forget what truly matters, and to say “I love you.”