You may have seen his wallpapers that adorn the walls of several restaurants or his murals that adorn the metropolis. Behind these works is illustrator and decorative art designer Aurore Danielou. Portrait of a designer who adds her unique touch to several addresses in Quebec.
This is Amlyne Phillips, founder of La Chambre Design
Arriving in Montreal about ten years ago, Aurore Danielou did a few jobs that were not necessarily related to her training in visual communication. But the original Frenchwoman never stopped illustrating. This first Montreal contract in 2018 was the starting point for her many projects as a commercial illustrator.
“I came into a bit of a bubble,” she explains. The wallpaper was already a bit trendy, but not too much. It was seen as eccentric to put it on. »
Several cafes, restaurants, and bars were keen to try the trend — which is still in vogue today. Over the past five years, Aurore Danielou has created wallpapers for many venues, including Parma Café, LOV Laval, Miss Wong, Ratafia, Kampai Garden, Madame Bovary, Le vin dans les voiles and the new India Rosa in Griffintown.
The wallpaper is a “coup de coeur” for illustrator Aurore Danielou. It is a medium that allows him to “do a lot of things”. “You can work on repeating patterns or go more panning,” she says.
What she likes the most? “Playing with wallpaper to integrate it into the work of designers and architects,” she says. So, to work on the pattern so that it fits, for example, with the benches and the mirror. »
Aurore Daniele draws her inspiration from the 19th century artist William Morris, a key figure in the Arts movement
When creating her works, Aurore Danielou also listens to her clients. “People like custom work that’s made for them,” she says. Some ask me to add a little personal wink that only they can understand. For example, the tapestry of the headquarters of the nature wine agency Le vin dans les voiles incorporates the dog of one of the co-owners, who is dead.
His creations have a “theatrical side” and “staging”, which perfectly corresponds to the desire of several addresses to create interaction with their customers, in particular through social networks. “We live in an Instagrammable world and it’s a big deal for clients to have visual focuses,” she says. In the end, we want it to be beautiful, to create a universe and for people to remember the place. »
Precisely, in addition to the wallpaper, Aurore Danielou created some mural works, notably on the facade of Café Tuyo and the former Nopalito restaurant. The illustrator also creates stickers for window displays and designs illustrations for packaging and objects, such as labels for bottles and liquor cans.
“Even though there is a trend towards the more pared-down, I believe there will always be people who want things that are more ornate and intricate,” says the illustrator.
“We go through years that are not easy and it plays a lot on the design, she says. We are witnessing a bulimia of colors and shapes for the eyes, to escape from the somewhat depressing news. »
According to her, everything related to the baroque is very fashionable at the moment. “There are superimpositions of patterns that we confront with more rectilinear and modern pieces of furniture. »
In the materials, “you see a lot of glass, mirrors and chrome” — anything that glitters — along with “concrete and raw wood,” the illustrator explains.
