A visual designer at the service of art.
Olivier Charland is a Montreal-based artist and designer whose practice moves fluidly between graphic design and painting. Although his approach is abstract, his work is grounded in deep reflection. He brings innovative ideas and a strong conceptual dimension to every project, while maintaining a vibrant and sensitive aesthetic.His background in graphic design has led him to collaborate with major brands, whether in agencies, studios, or internal creative teams, including Apple’s design team in California, where he contributed to several large-scale projects.His artistic practice has allowed him to create murals both locally and internationally. What he values most, however, are cultural projects that have a real impact on the community, as well as teaching in the graphic design program at UQAM.
What are your core values?
Being present, curious, and open.
What does your dream project look like?
I have a thousand dream projects, but if I had to choose right now, it would probably be creating a work within the framework of the “1% Program.” Everything that this entails, implies, and generates in terms of impact would be an immense honour for me.
Describe your work in one sentence.
It is a tension between the digital, mathematical nature of vector imagery and the manual expression of painting. I translate the perfection of digital sketches—often sterile—into a pictorial tension where playful colours and fragmented forms conceal a turbulence reflective of the clash of our era.
What would you like to be recognized for?
That design and art can coexist.
What impact does your artistic practice have?
On me, an immense one: it is an outlet that allows me to express myself beyond words, and a way to create without constraints, outside my work as a designer. On others… I’ll let you tell me.