Mirage Painting

Born July 18th 1969, in Rouen, France. He currently resides in Sherbrooke, Quebec.Canada. A graphic designer for over 20 years, François Haguier decided to begin experimenting with acrylic paint in 2010. His influences are very diverse and range from Japanese calligraphy to hyper-realism and surrealism, where dramatic brushstrokes unleash inspired gestures. Using his computer skills, he digitally develops the first stages of his paintings. His choice of colour, shape and balance of the composition are the preliminary elements that he maps out on screen. Once his plan is set, he will then move to the canvas. Whether he uses bold tones or ghostly tints, thick, pure colour, or light washes, he allows creativity to inhabit his mind, like Salvador Dali under the influence of his Paranoiac-critical method which has strongly influenced Haguier. Dali describes it as a "spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on the critical and systematic objectivity of the associations and interpretations of delirious phenomena." Another important influence for Haguier is the European Lyrical Abstraction movement led by master painter Georges Mathieu, whom he paid tribute to by creating a series of abstract paintings named after the artist. In his creative process, François Haguier navigates between technology and traditional artistic techniques. When a painting is near completion, he often photographs it in order to manipulate it digitally. This allows him to change the settings and optimize his resources. François Haguier also works in collaboration with cabinetmaker Bernard Lacasse to combine graphic design with the engineering of wood and metal. Since 2013, his creations are attracting more and more attention from the public in Bromont, Magog, Sherbrooke and Quebec.