Catherine Lavoie is an artist, illustrator & designer from Québec City, Canada. Her work is inspired by graphic design, nature, travels & daily life objects. Her creations are refined, gracious and colourful. With a background in Visual Arts she seeks for an aesthetic that recalls serigraphy with the simplicity of its shapes, images & colors. She creates visuals for textiles, products, packaging & editorials. Through various retailers she sells her own prints & stationery line. She also produces custom unique high-end artworks for commercial purpose, commissions & art shows. The cotton blankets she designed for ZigZagZurich are inspired by summertime and by the lightness of being.
Who are you ?
I am Catherine Lavoie, an artist, illustrator and designer.
Where do you live?
I live in Québec, Canada.
What do you do ?
I create minimalist, bold and colourful visuals. I do silk screening, hand drawing, digital art and illustration and I’ve recently started doing pottery, which is truly inspiring and challenging.
What doesn’t inspire you ?
Negativity, surcharged spaces.
What projects have you been recently working on?
I have collaborated with a Canadian retailer to create prints for t-shirts. I have created a fun memory card game for kids. Created custom artwork for T.V. set, created illustration for a vinyl album..etc
What projects in your lifetime have the most significance in both of your work?
Leaving my 9 to 5 designer job to work full time on my art was the most significant move I have ever made.
From that moment on, the projects and collaborations I've been working on just exploded, and so did my creativity!
Where is design & art heading?
I think they are both heading towards a more minimalist, green & handmade aesthetic.
What’s wrong with design?
Sometimes, design tends to follow fashion. From my point of view, I don't see anything wrong with the idea of a timeless design. Like Paul Rand said: “Good design doesn’t date. Bad design does’’.
Who do you think are the most influential artists & designers in recent years?
Jamie Hayon, Ronan Bouroullec, Raf Simons, Olimpia Zagnoli, Bobby Clark.
What artists and designers have inspired you in your lifetime?
Matisse, Alexander Girard, Vasarely, Dieter Rams, Paul Rand, Ellsworth Kelly, Maija Isola, John Zabawa, Anna Kovecses, Olimpia Zagnoli, and so many others!
What would be your best destination in the world?
I have already been there but would love to go back to Japan.
Stuck on a desert island, three things that you couldn’t be without?
My cat, even though he is not a thing, sunglasses & an iPad with internet connection.
What is your favourite colour & why ?
I like every colour. I love yellow, but I think colours are truly vibrant when associated with others.
MAINSTREAM cotton blanket by Catherine Lavoie
THE YELLOW ORANGE by Catherine Lavoie
