MEET MATHIEU DIONNE

Mathieu Dionne is an artist, designer and illustrator based in Montreal. He expresses himself through his work, drawing inspiration from a variety of art movements and more raw, unconventional art brut. Keep reading to find out more about this sneaker-loving creative.

A talented local illustrator getting to do what he loves for a living.

How would you describe your art?

I would say I do fun, pop, humorous and colourful graphics and visuals for various mediums and platforms, mostly intended for the fields of culture, music and arts.

How does your art allow you to express yourself?

I’m not a super talkative person, so I would say my craft is the way I express myself. I’ve been doing graphic design and illustration for a living since I graduated in 2011, and I recently came to the realization that I’m really fortunate to do something I love on a daily basis. Every time I see someone in the city with a tote bag I designed for a client, or wearing a t-shirt with a graphic I designed, it brings me joy, I’m not even kidding. People coming up to me, or DM me, telling me they appreciate my workit’s the best feeling, and it’s really something that keeps me going.

Where do you find inspiration?

What I like to do is to combine different references and try to make the resulting work feel more than the sum of its parts. Modernism in art is a huge influence in my work, people like Matisse, Picasso, so-called “masters”. On the other hand, I’m really drawn to outsider artists, art brut, people with no prior knowledge of art history, people like Bill Traylor. There is an element of rawness and a feeling of liberty in their work that I wish I can purvey in my work. Recently I’ve been really influenced by Italian Futurismthe way they express movement and speed is mind-blowing to me.

What are your go-to shoes?

My go-to shoe is obviously a sneaker. I’m a sneaker person. I like to be comfy, and I like things that look cool. I don’t care for dress shoes. I’m fortunate to have a job that allows me to wear sneakers. These days, with winter coming and autumn rain showers, my go-to shoe would be a hiking sneaker with waterproof capabilities because having wet feet is probably one of the things I hate the most in life.

Instagram: Mathieu Dionne